There are many very specific ‘Irish’ dimensions to current political debates surrounding potential ‘Brexit’ which are not being addressed in detail (if at all) by the Leave and Remain campaigns. This policy paper aims to shed light on these aspects of Brexit, so as to inform interested voters. The paper also engages directly with policy makers in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, so as to ensure that future negotiations with Westminster and/or Brussels regarding both the EU referendum take full account of the specific ways in which their jurisdictions will be affected by the changes.
This report is not a campaigning document, but it does attempt to inform some key areas of the Brexit debate. It conveys our concerns, estimations, and opinions as a group made up of legal academics researching in international law, trade law, UK constitutional law, human rights law and EU law on some key aspects of how Brexit would affect Northern Ireland. We do not seek to address all of the implications of Brexit, but only those within our areas of expertise.