Jane Morrice facts for kids

Jane Morrice was born on May 11, 1954. She is a politician and journalist from Northern Ireland. She played a very important part in creating the Good Friday Agreement. This agreement helped bring peace to Northern Ireland.

Jane Morrice has held many important jobs. She was the Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly. She also led the European Commission Office in Northern Ireland. Before that, she worked as a reporter for the BBC in Belfast. From 2013 to 2015, and again from 2019 to 2020, she was a Vice President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). She also worked as a Deputy Chief Commissioner for the Northern Ireland Equality Commission. She was a key member of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition until it ended in 2006.

In June 1998, Jane Morrice was chosen to be a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. She became the Deputy Speaker in February 2000. Since 2006, she has represented Northern Ireland's interests in Brussels as an EESC Member. She is also the Honorary President of the European Movement Northern Ireland.

Jane Morrice helped put the Good Friday Agreement into action. She was part of a committee that made the first rules for how the Assembly would work. She also served on committees for Trade and Industry and Public Accounts.

Early Life and Education

Jane Morrice was born in Belfast. She went to Ashleigh House School and Methodist College Belfast. She also studied at the University of Ulster.

She started her career as a journalist in Brussels in 1980. In 1986, she moved to BBC Belfast. There, she reported on news during a difficult time known as 'the Troubles'. Later, she became a business and labor relations reporter.

In 1992, she became the head of the European Commission (EC) Office in Northern Ireland. She helped create the first EU PEACE Programme. This program has invested a lot of money to support peace projects. These projects help different communities work together.

Jane Morrice earned a degree in European Studies from the University of Ulster. She speaks French very well. She also knows some Spanish and German.

Political Career and Public Service

Jane Morrice started her political journey in 1996. She helped create the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition. She tried to get elected in North Down in 1997 but was not successful.

However, she was elected in North Down in the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election. She lost her seat in the 2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election.

Jane Morrice also served on the Board of Governors for the Integrated Education Fund. She was the Deputy Chief Commissioner for the NI Equality Commission. She was also a board member of the Laganside Corporation. This group worked to improve the waterfront area of Belfast.

In 2006, Jane was chosen to represent Northern Ireland on the EESC in Brussels. In 2013, she was elected as its Vice President. In this role, she led meetings of the Assembly. This Assembly had 350 members from 28 EU countries.

In 2008, she became the Deputy Chief of the NI Equality Commission. She led a group that worked to promote the role of women in local councils.

As an EESC Member, Jane Morrice wrote reports about the EU's role in peace-building. She has also worked to share experiences between Northern Ireland and other areas of conflict. She has done this work in places like Afghanistan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Cyprus.

Jane was given the Boston Certificate of Recognition for Peace and Equality. This award recognized her important work.

In the 2019 European Parliament election, Jane Morrice ran as an Independent candidate. She ran for the Northern Ireland seat. She did not win, getting 0.30% of the votes.

Queens University Belfast gave Jane an Honorary Doctorate. This happened on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.