Government of Ireland Act 1920

Government of Ireland Act 1920
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Short title	Government of Ireland Act 1920
Long title	An Act to provide for the better government of Ireland.
Statute book chapter	10 & 11 Geo. 5 c. 67
Territorial extent	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Royal assent	23 December 1920
Commencement	3 May 1921
Repealed date	2 December 1999
Related legislation	Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922, Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922, Statute of Westminster 1931, Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, Northern Ireland Act 1998
Status	Repealed

Government of Ireland Act 1920 was a landmark Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which partitioned the island of Ireland into two separate home rule territories. It established a devolved parliament for the six north-eastern counties, which became Northern Ireland, while also providing for a parliament in Dublin for the remaining twenty-six counties, an entity that never functioned. The Act was a direct response to the Irish War of Independence and the complex political demands of Irish unionism and Irish nationalism, but its implementation was immediately overtaken by the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.

Background and context

The Act emerged from the protracted and contentious struggle over Irish Home Rule that had dominated British politics since the late 19th century. Previous attempts, such as the Government of Ireland Act 1914, had been suspended due to the outbreak of the First World War and fierce opposition from Ulster unionists led by figures like Sir Edward Carson and James Craig. The Easter Rising of 1916 and the subsequent rise of Sinn Féin, which won a landslide in the 1918 Irish general election, transformed the political landscape, leading to the establishment of the revolutionary First Dáil and the onset of the Irish War of Independence. British Prime Minister David Lloyd George promoted the 1920 Act as a final attempt to implement a home rule settlement within the United Kingdom, designed explicitly to satisfy Ulster's unionist population while offering a measure of self-government to the rest of Ireland.

Provisions of the Act

The Act provided for the creation of two distinct home rule entities: Northern Ireland (comprising the six counties of Antrim, Down, Armagh, Londonderry, Tyrone, and Fermanagh) and Southern Ireland (comprising the remaining twenty-six counties). Each was to have its own bicameral parliament and executive, with powers over domestic affairs, while significant reserved powers, including taxation, foreign policy, and military matters, remained with the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster. A Council of Ireland, with members from both parliaments, was envisaged to promote eventual Irish unity. The Act also stipulated that both parts of Ireland would continue to send representatives to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

Implementation and establishment of Northern Ireland

On 3 May 1921, the Act came into force, and the institutions for Northern Ireland were successfully established. Elections were held for the Parliament of Northern Ireland, resulting in a decisive majority for the Ulster Unionist Party, and James Craig became the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. The parliament was officially opened by King George V in a ceremony at Belfast City Hall in June 1921. In contrast, the institutions for Southern Ireland were stillborn; the Second Dáil, acting as the parliament of the Irish Republic, ignored them, and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland met only once, in a pro-forma session largely boycotted by Sinn Féin members.

Reaction and consequences

The Act was rejected outright by Irish nationalists and the government of the Irish Republic, who viewed partition as an illegitimate imposition. The ongoing Irish War of Independence continued unabated, leading to negotiations that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921. This treaty created the Irish Free State, effectively superseding the Southern Ireland provisions of the 1920 Act. In Northern Ireland, the Act provided the legal foundation for over fifty years of Stormont government, which was dominated by the Ulster Unionist Party and was marked by systemic discrimination against the Irish Catholic and nationalist minority, contributing to the later outbreak of The Troubles.

Repeal and legacy

The Act remained the constitutional basis for Northern Ireland's existence within the United Kingdom for much of the 20th century. Key sections were repealed for the Irish Free State by the Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922. The Act was substantially amended by the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, which followed the prorogation of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, and was finally repealed in its entirety by the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which established the contemporary Northern Ireland Assembly following the Good Friday Agreement. The Act's primary legacy is the enduring political partition of Ireland, creating the constitutional entity of Northern Ireland and defining the relationship between Dublin, Belfast, and London for over a century.

Category:1920 in British law Category:Irish Home Rule Category:History of Northern Ireland Category:Partition of Ireland Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1920