Principle of consent
Encyclopedia
Principle of consent is a term used in the context of debate on a United Ireland
, which states that Northern Ireland
's constitutional status (as part of the United Kingdom
) cannot change without majority support in Northern Ireland. It is a central theme in the Northern Ireland peace process
and was enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement
of 10 April 1998. It is a form of self determination.
The principle of consent is now accepted by all elected parties in Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
. It is opposed by Republican Sinn Féin
, the IRSP
and many independent Republicans.
Opponents of the principle regard it as a Unionist
veto, as the state of Northern Ireland was designed to have a permanent Unionist majority, with the result that partition is guaranteed there. However, proponents of the principle have always insisted that no party should have a veto on change or equality.
United Ireland
A united Ireland is the term used to refer to the idea of a sovereign state which covers all of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. The island of Ireland includes the territory of two independent sovereign states: the Republic of Ireland, which covers 26 counties of the island, and the...
, which states that Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
's constitutional status (as part of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) cannot change without majority support in Northern Ireland. It is a central theme in the Northern Ireland peace process
Northern Ireland peace process
The peace process, when discussing the history of Northern Ireland, is often considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of the Troubles, the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent political developments.-Towards a...
and was enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
of 10 April 1998. It is a form of self determination.
The principle of consent is now accepted by all elected parties in Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is opposed by Republican Sinn Féin
Republican Sinn Féin
Republican Sinn Féin or RSF is an unregisteredAlthough an active movement, RSF is not registered as a political party in either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. minor political party operating in Ireland. It emerged in 1986 as a result of a split in Sinn Féin...
, the IRSP
Irish Republican Socialist Party
The Irish Republican Socialist Party or IRSP is a republican socialist party active in Ireland. It claims the legacy of socialist revolutionary James Connolly, who founded the Irish Socialist Republican Party in 1896 and was executed after the Easter Rising of 1916.- History :The Irish Republican...
and many independent Republicans.
Opponents of the principle regard it as a Unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
veto, as the state of Northern Ireland was designed to have a permanent Unionist majority, with the result that partition is guaranteed there. However, proponents of the principle have always insisted that no party should have a veto on change or equality.