Elected Authorities (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 facts for kids
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| Long title | An Act to amend the law relating to the franchise at elections to district councils in Northern Ireland, to make provision in relation to a declaration against terrorism to be made by candidates at such elections and at elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly and by persons co-opted as members of district councils, to amend sections 3 and 4 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972, and for connected purposes. |
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| Citation | 1989 c. 3 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 15 March 1989 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Elected Authorities (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 was a law made by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This Act made it a rule that people running for election in Northern Ireland had to promise they would not support certain groups or violent acts. These groups were called "proscribed organisations." Proscribed means they were officially banned.
This law meant that many candidates could not run in the 1989 Northern Ireland local elections. For example, 23 candidates from a group called Republican Sinn Féin were not allowed to take part.
Contents
Why This Law Was Needed
Elections in Northern Ireland
For a long time, elections for local councils in Northern Ireland were mostly won by people who supported staying part of the United Kingdom. These people were called "unionists." Many Catholic people, who often wanted Northern Ireland to join the Republic of Ireland (called "nationalists"), did not vote much.
In 1974, a group called Sinn Féin was removed from the list of banned organisations. This was done to encourage more Catholic people to get involved in politics. After this, Sinn Féin started to win more seats in local government.
Concerns About Support for Violence
In 1983, after a bombing incident, the British government thought about banning Sinn Féin again. They also considered banning a unionist group called the Ulster Defence Association. Some politicians felt Sinn Féin was linked to violence.
A judge named Sir George Baker looked into this. He suggested not banning these groups again. However, he did say that new laws might be needed for people involved in politics who also supported violence.
What the Act Said
The Declaration Against Terrorism
Sir George Baker's ideas helped create the Elected Authorities (Northern Ireland) Act 1989. This Act made a special rule for anyone wanting to run in an election in Northern Ireland. They had to sign a promise.
This promise was called a "declaration against terrorism." It said: "I declare that, if elected, I will not by word or deed express support for or approval of (a) any organisation that is for the time being a proscribed organisation... or (b) acts of terrorism (that is to say violence for political ends) connected with the affairs of Northern Ireland".
Who Could Not Run
The Act also said that if someone had been in prison for more than three months, they could not run for election for five years. This was another way to make sure elected officials did not have links to serious crimes.
What Happened Next
Impact on Candidates
The main goal of this Act was to make it harder for Sinn Féin to participate in elections without directly banning them. However, most Sinn Féin candidates agreed to sign the new declaration.
But another group, Republican Sinn Féin, refused to sign it. They called it a "test oath" because they felt it was a loyalty test. Because they refused, their candidates were not allowed to run in the 1989 local elections in Northern Ireland.
Later Elections
Republican Sinn Féin tried to run candidates again in the 2011 Northern Ireland local elections. But their nominations were rejected once more. This was because they still refused to sign the declaration required by the Act. The Act continued to affect who could stand for election in Northern Ireland.
