Propose a change

Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Act 2022

Write the words of this act the way you think they should read. Solon shows your change as a redline against the published text and pins it to that exact text, so it can never be applied to wording you did not see.

Change 1

What to do with it
As published

2 Duration of Ministerial appointments

(1) The Northern Ireland Act 1998 is amended as follows. (2) In section 16A— (a) omit subsection (2) (Northern Ireland Ministers cease to hold office following Assembly election); (b) in subsection (10), for “and the deputy First Minister” substitute “, the deputy First Minister and the Northern Ireland Ministers”; (c) after subsection (11) insert— (11A) The First Minister and deputy First Minister cease to hold office if the period of 24 weeks beginning with the day on which an Assembly first meets expires without those offices having been filled by virtue of this section. (3) In section 18— (a) before subsection (1) insert— (A1) Where— (a) an Assembly is elected— (i) at a poll the date for which is proposed under section 32(3B), or (ii) following the issue of a certificate under subsection (A2), (b) the period of 24 weeks beginning with the day on which an Assembly first meets expires without the offices mentioned in section 16A(3) having been filled, or (c) the period of 48 weeks beginning with the day on which a vacancy arises in the offices of First Minister and deputy First Minister expires without those offices having been filled, all Northern Ireland Ministers shall cease to hold office (and the Ministerial offices shall remain vacant until next filled by virtue of section 16A). (A2) Where the Secretary of State— (a) has proposed, or is under a duty to propose, a date for the poll for the election of the next Assembly under section 32(1) or (3), and (b) considers that, in order to give effect to the purpose underlying paragraph 3.15 of Annex C of Part 2 of The New Decade, New Approach Deal so far as it relates to representation, it is necessary for the Northern Ireland Ministers to cease to hold office on the election of that Assembly, the Secretary of State may issue a certificate that the conditions in paragraphs (a) and (b) are met. ; (b) in subsection (9) (circumstances in which an individual Northern Ireland Minister ceases to hold office), after paragraph (a) insert— (aa) there is an Assembly election at which the Minister is not returned as a member; ; (c) in subsection (10), after “subsection” insert “(A1) or”. (4) In section 98, in subsection (1), at the appropriate place insert— “The New Decade, New Approach Deal” means the deal to restore devolved government in Northern Ireland published by that name in January 2020; . (5) In Schedule 4A (Minister of Justice), in paragraph 3D— (a) before sub-paragraph (1) insert— (A1) Where— (a) an Assembly is elected— (i) at a poll the date for which is proposed under section 32(3B), or (ii) following the issue of a certificate under section 18(A2), (b) the period of 24 weeks beginning with the day on which an Assembly first meets expires without the offices mentioned in section 16A(3) having been filled, or (c) the period of 48 weeks beginning with the day on which a vacancy arises in the offices of First Minister and deputy First Minister expires without those offices having been filled, the relevant Minister shall cease to hold office (and the relevant Ministerial office shall remain vacant until next filled by virtue of section 16A). ; (b) in sub-paragraph (11), after paragraph (a) insert— (aa) there is an Assembly election at which the Minister is not returned as a member, ; (c) in sub-paragraph (14), after “sub-paragraph” insert “(A1) or”.

Your change, as a redline

2 Duration of Ministerial appointments

(1) The Northern Ireland Act 1998 is amended as follows. (2) In section 16A— (a) omit subsection (2) (Northern Ireland Ministers cease to hold office following Assembly election); (b) in subsection (10), for “and the deputy First Minister” substitute “, the deputy First Minister and the Northern Ireland Ministers”; (c) after subsection (11) insert— (11A) The First Minister and deputy First Minister cease to hold office if the period of 24 weeks beginning with the day on which an Assembly first meets expires without those offices having been filled by virtue of this section. (3) In section 18— (a) before subsection (1) insert— (A1) Where— (a) an Assembly is elected— (i) at a poll the date for which is proposed under section 32(3B), or (ii) following the issue of a certificate under subsection (A2), (b) the period of 24 weeks beginning with the day on which an Assembly first meets expires without the offices mentioned in section 16A(3) having been filled, or (c) the period of 48 weeks beginning with the day on which a vacancy arises in the offices of First Minister and deputy First Minister expires without those offices having been filled, all Northern Ireland Ministers shall cease to hold office (and the Ministerial offices shall remain vacant until next filled by virtue of section 16A). (A2) Where the Secretary of State— (a) has proposed, or is under a duty to propose, a date for the poll for the election of the next Assembly under section 32(1) or (3), and (b) considers that, in order to give effect to the purpose underlying paragraph 3.15 of Annex C of Part 2 of The New Decade, New Approach Deal so far as it relates to representation, it is necessary for the Northern Ireland Ministers to cease to hold office on the election of that Assembly, the Secretary of State may issue a certificate that the conditions in paragraphs (a) and (b) are met. ; (b) in subsection (9) (circumstances in which an individual Northern Ireland Minister ceases to hold office), after paragraph (a) insert— (aa) there is an Assembly election at which the Minister is not returned as a member; ; (c) in subsection (10), after “subsection” insert “(A1) or”. (4) In section 98, in subsection (1), at the appropriate place insert— “The New Decade, New Approach Deal” means the deal to restore devolved government in Northern Ireland published by that name in January 2020; . (5) In Schedule 4A (Minister of Justice), in paragraph 3D— (a) before sub-paragraph (1) insert— (A1) Where— (a) an Assembly is elected— (i) at a poll the date for which is proposed under section 32(3B), or (ii) following the issue of a certificate under section 18(A2), (b) the period of 24 weeks beginning with the day on which an Assembly first meets expires without the offices mentioned in section 16A(3) having been filled, or (c) the period of 48 weeks beginning with the day on which a vacancy arises in the offices of First Minister and deputy First Minister expires without those offices having been filled, the relevant Minister shall cease to hold office (and the relevant Ministerial office shall remain vacant until next filled by virtue of section 16A). ; (b) in sub-paragraph (11), after paragraph (a) insert— (aa) there is an Assembly election at which the Minister is not returned as a member, ; (c) in sub-paragraph (14), after “sub-paragraph” insert “(A1) or”.

One line that says what changes, such as "Halve the dog tax".

Who it helps, what it costs, what it fixes. It is what persuades people to support it.

A proposal here is not law. Support on Solon is evidence that people want the change; the official route says what it takes to make it law.

Sign in to file your proposal. What you have written stays on this page.

Sign in to file it

Think it through

Ask what your change would do, who would gain and who would bear a cost, and where something like it is already law. The assistant reads your draft as it stands, cites the law and the studies it finds, and takes no side. What you file stays yours.

Questions to start with
Think it through
Legal information from the published text, not advice for your case. Check the sources. Find a law · What the register holds