By Jamie Bryson On 10 December 2020 the Secretary of State Brandon Lewis quietly laid a piece of legislation in the form of a Statutory instrument which unilaterally amended the Belfast Agreement. The treacherous amendment- without any unionist consent- inserted Schedule 6A into the Northern Ireland Act which at paragraph 18 (5) disapplied Section 42 […]
By Jamie Bryson The Secretary of State, without a hint of shame, claimed last week that he was pro union. Of course- in keeping with the two tier Belfast Agreement- nationalists howled in outrage, lecturing us all on the requirement for the Secretary of State to be “neutral” as a “co-guarantor” of the agreement. There […]
By Jamie Bryson At the outset it is important to set out that legitimate debates around concerns about the PSNI abusing their powers or misinterpreting the law should not act as an encouragement to anyone to breach public health guidance or otherwise act unreasonably. Opposition to the PSNI operating unlawfully and in breach of the […]
By Jamie Bryson The PSNI are very open about the purpose of their road checks and stop and search activities. They have made clear on their own social media it is in regards to policing the Health Protection Regulations. This, it would seem, is rather foolish as it makes things even more difficult for them. […]
By Jamie Bryson The Northern Ireland Executive has purported to regulate the movement of any household families of seven, or more (inclusive of children under 12) within the confines of their own private property. Outlining the latest bizarre regulation, a statement from the Executive stated, inter-alia: “Private garden gatherings- maximum of six people from one […]
You can download the document for free The Constitutional Implications of the NI Protocol [2020] The Northern Ireland Protocol poses a clear and present danger to the constitutional position of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom. The European Research Group legal opinion published on 29 December 2020 departs from their own previous analysis, and has concluded […]
By Jamie Bryson The initial quarantine regulations were laid on 5 June 2020 and came into force on 8 June. Their long title is The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (‘the regulations’). They can be found HERE The obligations on persons arriving in Northern Ireland from a country on the quarantine […]
By Jamie Bryson In a lengthy statement, the majority of which is devoted to trying to offer some explanation for the latest PSNI gaffe, ACC Alan Todd actually compounds the PSNI’s error. He states that “the current regulations, as drafted, do not appear to provide a specific exemption to enable taxi companies and drivers to […]
By Jamie Bryson A campaign has been launched by gym owners in Northern Ireland. In it they highlight a number of salient points. For many, the ability to go to the gym and exercise is an essential part of physical and mental health. People may not have the luxury of a large BT9 garden or […]
By Jamie Bryson The Belfast Agreement is persistently evoked every time nationalism has another insatiable demand. That tells you something; when nationalism seek to advance their political objectives, their weapon of choice is the Belfast Agreement. If that pernicious agreement was actually about equality and respect for all traditions, then it would stand to reason […]