Dispute Resolution Committee: Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement

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Dispute Resolution Committee: Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement

Implementations

Dispute Resolution Committee – 1998

The Good Friday Agreement provided that the Courts decide on disputes related to the legislative competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly. This provision (Article 11 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998)) was adopted and went into effect on 19 November 1998. There was no record of dispute regarding the legislative competence of Northern Ireland’s Legislative Assembly.

The Good Friday Agreement, in recognition of the special interest of the Government in Northern Ireland and mutual concern on issues related to Northern Ireland, provided for the establishment of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. The accords provided for the representation of Northern Ireland by invitation. The Northern Ireland Act (1998), in Article 54 (1 and 2), provided for the establishment of the conference with the provision that the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister, acting jointly, would ensure cross-community attendance at the meeting.

The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, however, was not established in 1998.

Dispute Resolution Committee – 1999

The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference was inaugurated on 17 December 1999. The inaugural meeting took place at Downing Street, which was chaired by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Irish and UK government and representatives of the Northern Ireland’s executive.1

  1. “The Good Friday Agreement: British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference,” BBC News, May 2006, accessed January 29, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/agreement/intergovernmental….

Dispute Resolution Committee – 2000

The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference had continuously met since its inauguration in 1999.

Dispute Resolution Committee – 2001

No further developments observed.

Dispute Resolution Committee – 2002

No further developments observed.

Dispute Resolution Committee – 2003

No further developments observed.

Dispute Resolution Committee – 2004

No further developments observed.

Dispute Resolution Committee – 2005

No further developments observed.

Dispute Resolution Committee – 2006

No further developments observed.

Dispute Resolution Committee – 2007

No further developments observed.