Chris Bryant Removes David Lavery From Human Rights Post

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Bryant removed David Lavery from his position as a human rights commissioner on Tuesday. The decision followed a finding by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission that Lavery breached its code of governance and brought the organization into disrepute.

The removal stems from Lavery providing a character reference for his cousin, William Lloyd-Lavery. A former teacher, William Lloyd-Lavery was convicted in April on six counts of indecent assault against four pupils at a Belfast school during the 1970s. Lavery apologized for what he described as a "serious error in judgement."

Nicola Bannon, a survivor of child abuse, called for Lavery to resign from his remaining role as chief executive of the Law Society of Northern Ireland. Bannon argued that character references in child sex abuse cases often emphasize societal positions that offenders use to mask their behavior. The Law Society of Northern Ireland has declined to comment further, citing a confidential internal process.