Northern Ireland Act 1998 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An 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. |
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| Citation | 1998 c. 47 |
| Introduced by | Mo Mowlam, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 19 November 1998 |
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Status: Amended
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Northern Ireland Act 1998 is an important law made by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This law changed how Northern Ireland was governed. It gave more power to local leaders in Northern Ireland. Before this Act, the UK government in Westminster directly ruled Northern Ireland for many years. This is called "direct rule."
The Act also officially named the Northern Ireland Assembly. This Assembly is a group of elected people who make laws for Northern Ireland. It used to be called the "New Northern Ireland Assembly."
This law replaced older laws, like parts of the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It set up new rules that fit with the Northern Ireland peace process. This process aimed to bring peace and stability to the region. The Act was a key part of carrying out the Belfast Agreement of 1998, which was a major peace deal.
What the Act Does
The Northern Ireland Act 1998 created a new way for Northern Ireland to govern itself. It set up the Northern Ireland Assembly with 108 members. These members are elected by the people.
How the Assembly Works
Members of the Assembly have to promise to follow certain rules. These rules are about how they should act and what their responsibilities are. This helps make sure they work well together.
Northern Ireland is still part of the United Kingdom. However, the Act says that if most people in Northern Ireland vote in a special public vote (called a referendum) to join a United Ireland, then it could happen. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland can call for this vote if it seems like most voters want to join a United Ireland.
The Assembly can change laws that are part of Northern Ireland's legal system. But there are some things they cannot deal with. These are called "reserved" or "excepted" matters. These topics are only handled by the UK government. The UK government talks with the Republic of Ireland about these matters. They do this through a group called the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.
The Assembly has been stopped from working a few times since 1998. But it was restarted on May 8, 2007. This happened after another agreement called the St Andrews Agreement in 2006.
How Members Are Elected
Members of the Assembly are chosen using a special voting system. It's called the single transferable vote (STV). This system helps make sure that different groups of people are fairly represented in the Assembly. It's a type of proportional representation.
See Also
