Brexit

On this page, you will find all the work we have done that is specifically related to Brexit - whether the referendum vote, the Brexit negotiations process, the Withdrawal Agreement and Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, or the post-Brexit constitutional settlement in Northern Ireland, insofar as impacted by Brexit.

Evidence to NIAC – Cross-border co-operation on policing, security and criminal justice after Brexit

Colin Murray joined a panel of experts on Wednesday 13th January to provide oral evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee as part of its ‘Cross-border co-operation on policing, security and criminal justice after Brexit’ inquiry.

Colin joined Gemma Davies (Associate Professor, Northumbria Law School at Northumbria University), Prof. Valsamis Mitsilegas (School of Law at Queen Mary University of London), and Prof. Steve Peers (School of Law at University of Essex).

The session covered a range of important areas, including access to data, extradition, UK post-Brexit security and UK-Ireland cooperation.

The full session is available to watch back at this link: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/752c46b4-216b-4bab-af4c-e4fda8309344

Colin Murray, as quoted in The Irish Times: “You take this brick out then this co-operation win that has come as part of the agreement will simply fall away”
Colin Murray providing historical context to the new suspect surrender arrangements under the TCA

We will also be sharing further updates and analysis on this over on our Twitter account @performidentity

Wed 13 Jan – Evidence to NI Affairs Committee

PI’s Colin Murray has been invited to provide oral evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on 13th January 2021, as part of the ‘Cross-border co-operation on policing, security and criminal justice after Brexit’ inquiry.

Colin will join Gemma Davies (Associate Professor, Northumbria Law School at Northumbria University), Prof. Valsamis Mitsilegas (School of Law at Queen Mary University of London), and Prof. Steve Peers (School of Law at University of Essex).

The session will be streamed live from 9.30am – watch live at this link: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/752c46b4-216b-4bab-af4c-e4fda8309344

We will also be posting some updates over on Twitter @performidentity

NEW Article – ‘Beyond Trade: Implementing the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol’s Human Rights and Equalities Provisions’

PI’s Colin Murray and Clare Rice have shared a working version of their article on the topic of human rights, equality, and the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

The peer-reviewed paper, which will be published in its final form in the winter edition of Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly in early 2021, is available to download here.

Keep an eye on our Twitter account for updates on when the final article is published – @performidentity

Evidence submitted to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee: ‘Cross-border co-operation on policing, security and criminal justice after Brexit’ Inquiry

PI’s Colin Murray and Clare Rice have submitted evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee as part of the ‘Cross-border co-operation on policing, security and criminal justice after Brexit’ inquiry.

The submission considers key aspects of cross-border co-operation with particular reference to the potential challenges of Brexit for practicalities of this between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. It also considers some specific challenges this is likely to present for policing, security and criminal justice on the island of Ireland and the potential difficulties this will create for Northern Ireland.

The full submission is available to view here:

A Review of Politics in Northern Ireland

A presentation delivered by PI’s Clare Rice examining the last 12 months in Northern Ireland’s politics has been published on the website of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Education Service.

The presentation covers a number of key areas from the last year in Northern Ireland including the 2019 General Election, the ‘New Decade, New Approach’ deal, Brexit and management of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The presentation was followed by a Q&A with questions submitted by A-Level Government and Politics teachers in Northern Ireland. This covered a range of matters, including future Assembly elections, Opposition and the NDNA agreement.

A recording of the full session and a copy of the slides used (with some additional reading suggestions) can be viewed here: https://education.niassembly.gov.uk/video-gallery/review-politics-northern-ireland_october-2020

Internal Market Bill

The publication of the Internal Market Bill (IMB) on 9th September 2020 sparked widespread concern about the UK’s commitment to upholding the Withdrawal Agreement reached in 2019.

This short summary provides some initial analysis of key aspects of the IMB relevant to Northern Ireland.

For rolling analysis of developments and for updates on further output from the team on this, keep an eye on the PI Twitter account @performidentity

PI Panel at UACES 2020

The Performing Identities will (virtually) come together on Monday 7th September to lead a panel discussion at the UACES Virtual Conference 2020.

Initially planned to be happening in Belfast, the full conference has now moved to an online platform in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

We have planned a panel on the theme of Brexit and Northern Ireland, in which each member will outline some key aspects of the work being done within the Performing Identities project.

This will include the presentation of initial findings from interview-based research in Northern Ireland, and overviews of several forthcoming papers not yet in the public domain.

Central to our plans for the session is to provide a forum for informal discussion – on the work of the team, but also more generally on the topics being covered.

As a ‘non-traditional panel’ at the UACES conference, we had ambitious plans for this session in Belfast. While now proceeding in a virtual format, this remains a session not to be missed for anyone interested in Brexit and its impact in Northern Ireland!


Unfortunately, this panel is only open to registered participants of the conference, but we will be tweeting updates on the day from our account – @performidentity


NEW: ‘EU Law in the UK’

We are delighted to share that PI team member, Sylvia de Mars, has published a new book.

‘EU Law in the UK’ is the first textbook to be published in the field since Brexit. It examines the institutional and substantive elements of EU law, considering them in terms of Brexit and the potential implications of this for UK law.

“It takes a uniquely contextual approach designed to enliven the learning experience, support understanding, and help students appreciate the relevance and impact of EU law.”

Oxford University Press

A phenomenal achievement in the context of the fast pace of change over recent years. Congratulations, Sylvia!

Copies of the book can be purchased online here or from most book retailers.

Evidence submitted to the EU International Agreements Sub-Committee: Inquiry on Treaty Scrutiny

Colin Murray and Clare Rice have submitted evidence to the EU International Agreements Sub-Committee as part of the inquiry on Treaty Scrutiny. It outlines that post-Brexit, treaty scrutiny is going to matter more than ever in light of Northern Ireland’s position under the Protocol needing ongoing consideration. The submission focuses mainly on the role of the devolved institutions in this, and suggests some ways in which the scrutiny powers of the UK Parliament can be enhanced.