Born outside of Northern Ireland and only three years older than the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, I cannot claim first-hand knowledge of the difference it has made. But that I and those younger than me have not known a Northern Ireland at civil war … [Read more...] about 25 Years Young
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Devolution and the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement: a stuttering failure?
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the momentous Belfast/Good Friday Agreement (GFA) that – among other things – helped to bring to a close the violence of “The Troubles” and established a series of new, interlocking institutions to govern … [Read more...] about Devolution and the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement: a stuttering failure?
The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement: its first 25 years
It is customary, at milestone birthdays, to look back at what we have achieved – since the last milestone, or over our whole lives – and reflect on what we might want to change for the future. A sort of whole-life performance appraisal if you like. … [Read more...] about The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement: its first 25 years
1998 Agreement the North-South Dimension at 25
The North-South aspects of the 1998 Agreement contain some of its most constitutionally innovative provisions. Although not often acknowledged as such in the UK context, Strand Two institutions and related provisions introduced a quasi-confederal … [Read more...] about 1998 Agreement the North-South Dimension at 25
The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and Brexit by Andrew McCormick
Nearly six years after the referendum, the Northern Ireland aspect of Brexit is still causing controversy, and the significance of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement of 1998 is a recurrent theme. As part of their opposition to the Protocol on … [Read more...] about The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and Brexit by Andrew McCormick
25 years on is Westminster backtracking on human rights in Northern Ireland?
When the Good Friday Agreement was signed on 10 April 1998 it brought with it a profound sense of hope for people in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. While there wasn’t a sense that the conflict was at an end, there was at last a clear pathway … [Read more...] about 25 years on is Westminster backtracking on human rights in Northern Ireland?
‘Off the Table’? The New Prime Minister and Northern Ireland
During his first official visit to Northern Ireland as Prime Minister, Andy Burnham declared that a referendum on Irish unity was “off the table”. His immediate priorities, he explained, were public services, the cost of living and the effective … [Read more...] about ‘Off the Table’? The New Prime Minister and Northern Ireland
Rigorous impartiality: What has been breached in the quest for a DUP deal and why the British will regret it
The principle of rigorous impartiality For over twenty-five years, the government of the United Kingdom has been under an extraordinary obligation. The last two governments have failed to uphold it. As a consequence, the present condition of the … [Read more...] about Rigorous impartiality: What has been breached in the quest for a DUP deal and why the British will regret it
In Review: Two Constitution Society Events in Edinburgh
Last week the Constitution Society went on the road to Edinburgh to host two events connected with what is increasingly termed the “territorial constitution”. Some months in the planning, the Society is indebted to our partners who helped make both … [Read more...] about In Review: Two Constitution Society Events in Edinburgh
Reporting the divide? The media and the constitutional debate in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland’s political dynamics have always been some of the most turbulent inthe United Kingdom. Much of the division and disruption comes from the divide thatexists on the constitutional future of Northern Ireland. Should it continue as part … [Read more...] about Reporting the divide? The media and the constitutional debate in Northern Ireland
What Now For Human Rights Under the Windsor Framework?
The Windsor Framework was adopted in 2023 in the wake of Brexit to regulate affairs in Northern Ireland. Until recently, it had been unclear what freestanding EU rights were conferred on individuals through the Framework. A recent judgment … [Read more...] about What Now For Human Rights Under the Windsor Framework?
The Titanic Struggle over the Illegal Migration Act
In 1912, the shipyard of Harland and Wolff in East Belfast produced a ship that was state of the art, a marvel of engineering, “designed to be unsinkable”. As it traversed the iceberg-laden waters of the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage at high … [Read more...] about The Titanic Struggle over the Illegal Migration Act