Northern Ireland Act 1974 facts for kids
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| Long title | An act to provide for the dissolution of the existing Northern Ireland Assembly and its prorogation until dissolution; to make temporary provision for the government of Northern Ireland; to provide for the election and holding of a Constitutional Convention in Northern Ireland; and for purposes connected with those matters. |
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| Citation | 1974 c. 28 |
| Territorial extent | Northern Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 17 July 1974 |
| Repealed | 2 December 1999 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Northern Ireland Act 1998 |
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Status: Repealed
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The Northern Ireland Act 1974 (Irish: An tAcht um Rialtas na hÉireann) was an important law passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1974. This law helped manage Northern Ireland after an earlier agreement, called the Sunningdale Agreement, didn't work out.
This act allowed the Northern Ireland Assembly to be closed down. It also gave its law-making powers to the Queen and her advisors.
What the Act Did
The Northern Ireland Act 1974 was meant to be a short-term solution. It was planned to last for only one year. However, the law allowed the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to extend it every year. This meant the act stayed in place for much longer. It was used until new ways of governing Northern Ireland were set up in late 1999. These new arrangements came from the 1998 Belfast Agreement.
Setting Up a Convention
The 1974 Act also created something called a Constitutional Convention. This was a group of people who tried to find a way for different groups in Northern Ireland to agree on how they should be governed. However, this convention did not succeed in getting everyone to agree. It was closed down for good in 1976.
