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Ratification Mechanism: Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement

Implementations

Ratification Mechanism – 1998

Referendums took place both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on 22 May 1998. In Northern Ireland, people were asked “Do you support the Agreement reached at the multi-party talks on Northern Ireland and set out in Command Paper 3883?”Turnout in the referendum was 81.1% of which 71.1% supported the agreement. In Republic of Ireland, people were asked “Do you approve of the proposal to amend the Constitution contained in the under mentioned Bill ? Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1998.” Turnout in the referendum was 55.6% of which 94.4% supported the proposed constitutional amendment.¹ As such, the Good Friday Agreement was ratified in the referendum.

Following the referendum, the 19th constitutional amendment in the Republic of Ireland took place on 3 June 1998.² Similarly, the British Government repealed the Government of Ireland Act 1920 in November 1998. The Northern Ireland Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 15 July 1998 and the bill had its third reading in the House of Lords on 17 November. The bill got the royal assent on 19 November 1998.³

“The 1998 Referendums, Elections- Northern Ireland,” ARK, accessed February 5, 2013, http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fref98.htm.
“Constitution of Ireland,” accessed January 21, 2013, http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/html%20files/Constitution%20o…(Eng)Nov2004.htm.
“Northern Ireland Bill Receives Royal Assent,” Hermes Database, November 19, 1998.