Northern Ireland Act 1998

Summary

The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (c. 47) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which allowed Westminster to devolve power to Northern Ireland, after decades of direct rule.

Northern Ireland Act 1998
Act of Parliament
Long titleAn Act to make new provision for the government of Northern Ireland for the purpose of implementing the agreement reached at multi-party talks on Northern Ireland set out in Command Paper 3883.
Citation1998 c. 47
Introduced byMo Mowlam, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Territorial extent United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent19 November 1998
Other legislation
AmendsAct of Settlement 1701
Amended bySocial Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc. ) Act 1999
Disqualifications Act 2000
Northern Ireland Act 2000
Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000
Postal Services Act 2000
Elections Act 2001
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
House of Commons (Removal of Clergy Disqualification) Act 2001
Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002
Tax Credits Act 2002
Northern Ireland Assembly Elections Act 2003
Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections and Periods of Suspension) Act 2003
Northern Ireland (Monitoring Commission etc.) Act 2003
Child Trust Funds Act 2004
Civil Contingencies Act 2004
Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004
Constitutional Reform Act 2005
Government of Wales Act 2006
Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006
Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006
Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007
Serious Crime Act 2007
Health and Social Care Act 2008</brNorthern Ireland Act 2009
Northern Ireland Assembly Members Act 2010
Postal Services Act 2011
Small Charitable Donations Act 2012
Antarctic Act 2013
Crime and Courts Act 2013
Justice and Security Act 2013
Mental Health (Discrimination) Act 2013
Childcare Payments Act 2014
Immigration Act 2014
Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014
Assembly Members (Reduction of Numbers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016
Investigatory Powers Act 2016
Northern Ireland (Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan) Act 2016
Public Services Ombudsman Act (Northern Ireland) 2016
Higher Education and Research Act 2017
Savings (Government Contributions) Act 2017
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020
Executive Committee (Functions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2020
Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020
United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020
Elections Act 2022
Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022
Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Act 2022
Northern Ireland (Interim Arrangements) Act 2023
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023
Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

It renamed the New Northern Ireland Assembly, established by the Northern Ireland (Elections) Act 1998, to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

It repealed parts of the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, and established new rules in line with the European Union and the Northern Ireland peace process, subsequent to the Belfast Agreement of 1998.

The act allows for a devolved Northern Ireland Assembly of 108 members. Membership of the assembly is subject to a pledge of office, which subjects the member to certain requirements with regard to standards and responsibilities. Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom until or unless a majority vote in a referendum determines otherwise. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland holds the power to call for the referendum if it appears likely to them that a majority of the voters would express their desire to become part of a United Ireland. The assembly has the power of modifying any act of the British Parliament as far as it "is part of the law of Northern Ireland".[1] They cannot deal, however, with reserved or excepted matters, which are of exclusive competence of the government of the United Kingdom, in consultation with the Republic of Ireland through the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.[2][3] The Assembly has been suspended a number of times since 1998, and was re-established on Tuesday 8 May 2007, subsequent to the St Andrews Agreement of 2006.

Election to the assembly is by single transferable vote (STV), a form of proportional representation.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "This section does not affect the power of the Parliament of the United Kingdom to make laws for Northern Ireland, but an Act of the Assembly may modify any provision made by or under an Act of Parliament in so far as it is part of the law of Northern Ireland." Northern Ireland Act 1998, Part II, Legislative Powers
  2. ^ Forman, F. N. :Constitutional change in the United Kingdom. University College, London. Constitution Unit. Routledge, 2002, p. 71. ISBN 0-415-23035-7
  3. ^ Aughey, Arthur: The politics of Northern Ireland: beyond the Belfast Agreement. Routledge, 2005, p. 92. ISBN 0-415-32788-1

Further reading

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  • Walker, Graham. "Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Devolution, 1945–1979," Journal of British Studies Jan. 2010, Vol. 49, No. 1: 117-142.
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  • Website of the Northern Ireland Assembly