Democratic Institutions

The Good Friday Agreement

The Troubles were brought to an end by The Good Friday Agreement which was signed in 1998 and set up the system of government that Northern Ireland enjoys today. It has two connected documents:

  1. An agreement between most of Northern Ireland’s political parties.
  2. An international agreement between the British and Irish governments.

The agreement is complex, but can be broken into three sections, or ‘strands’.

  1. The system of government of Northern Ireland within the UK.
  2. The relationship between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
  3. The relationship between the Republic of Ireland and the UK.

The key features of the Good Friday Agreement are:

  • the creation of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive which is the Northern Ireland government;
  • devolved, power-sharing government in Northern Ireland – the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive have legislative powers to make decision on local issues;
  • principle of consent - people in the north and south of Ireland can decide in a referendum whether to remain part of the UK or for a united Ireland;
  • the right to hold both British and Irish citizenship;
  • safeguards for human rights and equality such as new institutions to protect people’s human rights and promote equality. These include the Equality Commission, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), and the Office of the Police Ombudsman;
  • recognition of linguistic diversity and promotion of Irish and Ulster Scots;
  • proposed the creation of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive which is the Northern Ireland government.

The Northern Ireland Assembly

The Northern Ireland Assembly makes laws for Northern Ireland only.

Representatives from all parts of Northern Ireland sit in the assembly.

They are called Members of the Legislative Assembly, or MLAs. We can vote for these politicians in regional elections.

The most powerful of these representatives are the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister.

The role of the Northern Ireland Assembly includes:

  • making laws which will protect people, and promote equality and diversity;
  • representing the electorate’s views;
  • ensuring that there is high quality healthcare, education, housing, and transport networks to meet the needs of the people;
  • working to ensure that the terms of the Good Friday Agreement are met;
  • developing strategies which encourage investment and help local businesses;
  • building relations with other countries;
  • educating and raising awareness about the role of the Northern Ireland Assembly;
  • showing leadership to the community;
  • promoting community relations.

The role of the NI Executive includes:

  • agreeing a draft programme for the government of Northern Ireland, and setting out government priorities and commitments to improve the economy and society;
  • agreeing a the draft budget for Northern Ireland, prescribing how finances are allocated and spent by the different government departments;
  • drafting legislation to be passed before the Northern Ireland Assembly members. The Executive have to reach a consensus on how to resolve significant or controversial issues.

The role of a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA)

MLAs have a number of important jobs to do while in office:

  • they must engage in dialogue and work with other political parties to make decisions about Northern Ireland;
  • they have to represent their constituents (the people who elected them);
  • they need to listen to the electorate and make decisions;
  • they will make laws which will protect people, promote equality and enrich diversity;
  • they promote human rights and ensure that the terms of the Good Friday Agreement are met;
  • they promote community relations.

Northern Ireland Assembly Code of Conduct

The Northern Ireland Assembly Code of Conduct is designed to help MLAs carry out their jobs in a way that is transparent and fair.

It is a set of rules that MLAs must follow. For example, it describes how an MLA must handle expenses, claims, salaries, and donations.

A breach of the code might be considered corruption and lead to serious legal problems for the offending MLA.

Northern Ireland Assembly departments

Government departments are the tools that allow the government to get things done. When a decision is made in the Assembly, it is enacted by the people in the relevant department.

There are currently nine government departments within the Northern Ireland Assembly:

  • The Executive Office (also known as the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister)
    • supports ministers and institutions of government;
    • manages a programme of government;
    • promotes better community relations, equality, diversity, social inclusion and rights;
    • targets social need.
  • Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
    • responsible for food, farming, and environmental policy;
    • the development of the rural sector in Northern Ireland.
  • Communities
    • responsible for housing, urban regeneration and pensions;
    • supports sport, arts, and culture;
    • maintains museums, libraries, the public record office, and the historic environment;
    • maintains Northern Ireland's languages.
  • Economy
    • coordinates economic development, encompassing areas such as enterprise, social economy, innovation, energy, telecommunications and tourism.
  • Finance
    • organises Northern Ireland's budget and departments' spending.
  • Education
    • responsible for education to post-primary level;
    • improves standards and quality of education;
    • promotes community relations between schools;
    • supports teacher training;
    • promotes learning and skills to prepare people for work.
  • Health
    • responsible for managing health and social care, and public health and safety;
    • write policy and legislation relating to health.
  • Infrastructure
    • responsible for planning and development;
    • maintains transport links and roads;
    • addresses problems of housing, urban regeneration and social need;
    • protects the natural environment.
  • Justice
    • provides a fair justice system;
    • responsible for people's safety;
    • coordinates the work of five judicial agencies: prison service, courts and tribunals, compensation, forensic science and youth justice.

Political parties in Northern Ireland

The seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly are held by a number of different parties. Political parties in Northern Ireland include:

  • Alliance Party
  • Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
  • Green Party
  • Sinn Féin (SF)
  • Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP)
  • Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)
  • TUV
  • People Before Profit Alliance (PBP)
Other institutions created by the Good Friday Agreement

The Equality Commission

The Equality Commission is responsible for ensuring that Northern Ireland is a fair place to work and live. Its duties were outlined in the Northern Ireland Act 1998:

  • working towards ending discrimination;
  • promoting equal opportunities;
  • promoting 'affirmative action', also known as postive discrimination;
  • promoting good relations between people of different racial groups;
  • making sure that the government acts fairly to everyone;
  • reviewing new laws to make sure they do not discriminate against anyone.

The Police Ombudsman's Office

In Northern Ireland, police officers are not allowed to investigate complaints made against other officers. This is the job of the Police Ombudsman.

The ombudsman investigates cases where the public have accused the police of misconduct or criminality.

It has done a lot of work investigating crimes committed by the police during the Troubles.

How democratic is Northern Ireland?

Political scientists have developed criteria to test whether a society is democratic. These criteria measure:

  • Participation: are ordinary people involved in the political process?
  • Voting equality: is each person’s vote equal to all others?
  • Education: do people have the information they need to make informed choices about politics?
  • Control of the agenda: can ordinary people decide which issues will be debated at a governmental level?
  • Inclusiveness: do all groups participate in the political process?

Northern Ireland’s political system is designed to meet each of the criteria for a democracy.

Participation

Everyone over the age of 18 is eligible to vote.

Voting equality

Each person’s vote is counted as equal to everyone else’s.

Education

Everyone can learn about what is happening in the Assembly. The public and the media can watch Assembly meetings. The meetings are broadcast live on the Assembly’s website.

An official report of everything that is said in the Assembly is written down and open to the public to read. Old footage of meetings can be seen on the BBC’s Democracy Live website.

Control of the agenda

This is the most difficult criteria to meet. The public can put things on the Assembly’s agenda through petitions, complaints, and writing to their MLA.

Inclusiveness

Only people under 18 cannot vote. They can still contact MLAs, sign petitions and attend Assembly meetings as part of the public gallery.