The Assembly and How it works
The Northern Ireland Assembly and the Executive were set up following the 1998 Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement.
Powers were transferred from the UK Parliament to allow decisions and laws to be made at a local level in Northern Ireland. This is called devolution.
There are 90 Members of the Legislative Assembly, or MLAs, with five elected from each of Northern Ireland's 18 gconstituencies. The Northern Ireland Assembly meets in Parliament Buildings, Belfast. The Executive or government for Northern Ireland, meets nearby in Stormont Castle and is made up of government ministers from different parties.
Find out more about the powers that the Assembly has >>
The Three Roles of the Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly has three main roles, a legislative role, a scrutiny role and a representation role.
The Legislative Role
Most laws for Northern Ireland are made by the Northern Ireland Assembly. A proposal for a new law is called a Bill. Most Bills are brought to the Assembly by the ministers in charge of government departments before a Bill can begin its journey through the Assembly it must be checked by the Speaker to ensure that everything is in order. Click or tap on the tabs below to learn more about the legislative process.
First Stage
The First Stage of the law making process is a brief announcement in the Assembly Chamber that the bill has been introduced.
Second Stage
MLAs get a copy of the Bill the next day to study before the second stage when they debate and vote on the main aims of the bill. If MLAs agree that it is a something Northern Ireland needs and a majority vote for it in the Chamber the Bill moves on to Committee stage.
Committee Stage
During the Committee Stage, Assembly Committees study the bill line by line. They get the views of experts and the public. A report is produced for the whole Assembly, which may suggest changes to the bill called amendments.
Consideration and Further Consideration Stages
The bill then heads back to the Chamber for its Consideration Stage. MLAs debate and vote on every part of the bill, including any changes proposed by the committee or other MLAs. The Further Consideration stage is the last chance to change the bill.
Final Stage
At final stage, the whole bill, as amended, is discussed one final time and the Assembly votes on whether or not it should become law. If the majority of MLAs vote in favour, the bill is passed. It is then sent to London for formal approval by the Monarch. After this it becomes law and is called an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The Scrutiny Role
Scrutiny of the Executive is a role of the Northern Ireland Assembly. MLAs and Committees check the work of Ministers to ensure that they are doing a good job of delivering our public services. To ensure Ministers are implementing the Programme for Government and spending the budget wisely.
MLAs also question Ministers in the Chamber and in writing. MLAs debate issues which concern the people of Northern Ireland and draw the Ministers attention to these issues and call for action.
In Committees MLAs scrutinise bills line-by-line, consult experts and the public, and propose amendments to the bill if they think it could improve it. Committees also hold inquiries into issues of concern to the people of Northern Ireland. They produce a report and a Minister must respond to their findings.
The Representation Role
The third main role of the Assembly is its representation role.
Representative democracy allows the people to be heard without requiring everyone to submit their opinion on every issue.
Every MLA has an office in their constituency to enable them to provide a constituency service. They meet with constituents, listen to their views and act on their behalf to resolve problems. MLAs will contact relevant bodies and can raise the profile of an issue in the media. MLAs communicate with their constituents by email, telephone, letter and social media.
At plenary meetings in the Assembly Chamber Members will raise constituency concerns when making speeches during debates. They can also table motions for debate, including adjournment debates which usually deal with specific issues in their constituency.
When considering legislation MLAs can propose an amendment to a bill which they believe improves the law and benefits their constituents.They can also introduce their own private member's bill.
Asking Ministers questions on behalf of constituents is a very important representation tool. MLAs can ask Oral Questions in the Chamber during Question Time or following a ministerial statement. They can also send in written questions which will receive more detailed written answers.
Outside the Chamber, MLAs lobby ministers and officials for meetings. MLAs different parties will join informal All Party Groups. These are forums for MLAs to meet with external groups who have a shared interest in a particular cause or subject.
