The Ratification and Application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

Abstract

In December 1999, the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly was established at Stormont Buildings in East Belfast under the CR provisions of the GFA. The ECRML was ratified by the British government in June 2001 (Charter, Strasbourg, 5.XI.1992). The contemporary CR context was particularly troubled. In July 2001 the British government moved unilaterally to suspend the operations of the Assembly in the face of unionist opposition to the agreed power-sharing arrangements. The Irish government acquiesced. The Assembly was further temporarily suspended in August and again in September 2001. Finally, in October 2002, it was suspended once again. This time the suspension was to last for five years. During this period, Direct Rule by British Ministers elected at Westminster was administered. As I shall discuss in the next chapter, it was not until May 2007 that devolution was re-established under the provisions of the St Andrews’ Agreement (SAA).