PI at PSA Annual Conference 2021

The Political Studies Association’s annual conference kicks off on Monday 29th March. Intended to be held in Belfast, the event will be conducted entirely online in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Performing Identities will be presenting two papers over the coming days; very handily, both will be happening in the same session!

Clare Rice will be presenting a solo piece of research examining the implementations of identity and governance provisions agreed in Northern Ireland’s ‘New Decade, New Approach’ deal one year on.

The second will be a joint presentation from Clare Rice, Megan Armstrong and Ben Warwick, outlining some key findings from interviews completed in Northern Ireland on the theme of identity and Brexit.

For those attending the conference, these will be happening in Panel 919 on Wednesday 31st March (9am-10.30am).

Evidence Submission to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee ‘Citizenship and Passport Processes’ Inquiry

PI’s Colin Murray and Clare Rice have submitted evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee as part of the ‘Citizenship and Passport Processes in Northern Ireland’ Inquiry.

The submission examines some of the post-Brexit complexities that Brexit has given rise to in Northern Ireland for citizenship, particularly in relation to the provisions of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement.

Their submission is available to download here:


This is a topic that the PI has also written extensively on, including a report for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. See ‘Continuing EU Citizenship “Rights, Opportunities and Benefits” in Northern Ireland after Brexit‘ for more analysis on this.

Evidence Submitted to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee – ‘Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol’ Inquiry

PI’s Colin Murray and Clare Rice have submitted evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in relation to its ‘Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol’ Inquiry.

This submission takes some initial stock of the early outworking of the Protocol in Northern Ireland, identifying some of the key challenges that have been faced and the reasons for these. It also examines Article 16 of the Protocol, and considers some practical and political dynamics around Article 18’s democratic consent provision for the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Explainer: Article 16 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland

In light of the challenges that have been seen with the Northern Ireland Protocol since it came into force on 1st January 2021, there have been calls for the UK Government to use Article 16 of the Protocol as a means to solving these issues.

The UK Government has been reluctant to take this step. But in the face of mounting pressure on the UK Government to use it, and increased discussion about it, the complexity of Article 16 has come under close scrutiny.

But what is Article 16, how does it work, and what does it mean?

PI’s Clare Rice prepared an explainer on this for UK in a Changing Europe. This concise guide is available to read in full here: https://ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/article-16-of-the-northern-ireland-protocol/

Blog: “Free us”: the DUP’s Northern Ireland Protocol Strategy

Developments have been happening at a mile a minute in Northern Ireland since the Northern Ireland Protocol came into force on 1st January 2021.

PI’s Clare Rice prepared an article for LSE Brexit examining these developments, looking specifically at the five-point strategy Northern Ireland’s DUP published in response to the challenges the Protocol has given rise to.

The DUP, having been complicit in creating the conditions that gave rise to the present situation, is now having to do the political equivalent of fighting the fires it stoked. The five-point plan that has been announced is, in effect, the party’s strategy of how it intends to do this.

Clare Rice, LSE Brexit blog

The full article is available to read in full at this link: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2021/02/04/free-us-the-dups-northern-ireland-protocol-strategy/

Evidence to Bill of Rights Committee

PI’s Colin Murray and Clare Rice have submitted evidence to the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Ad-hoc Committee on a Bill of Rights. This evidence has been submitted in response to the Committee’s on-going call for evidence covering different perspectives on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.

The Committee is also conducting an online survey [available here] to gather a range of views – the deadline for completing this is 29th January 2021.

In the meantime, Colin and Clare’s submission can be viewed here:

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