Sage-Tips

What is the Good Friday Agreement between the UK and Ireland?

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, has told the Irish Parliament that the UK and Ireland must honour the Good Friday Agreement and honour their commitment not to have a hard border. After Brexit, the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic would become the only land border between the UK and the European Union.

What is the problem with the Good Friday Agreement?

The DUP also says the real threat to the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement is the imposition of the backstop. Sinn Fein has said any hard border in Ireland will lead to further calls for a referendum on Irish unification and is pushing for a border poll to be held in Northern Ireland if there is a no-deal Brexit.

What was the result of the Good Friday Agreement referendum?

Following the Good Friday agreement, there were two referendums. The referendum in Northern Ireland, on the agreement, based on facts not promises, clarity not ambiguity, received a 71\% yes result. The related referendum in the Republic of Ireland achieved a 94\% yes.

Will Brexit affect the Good Friday Agreement?

No. The Good Friday Agreement featured in some of the Article 50 litigation, including the Gina Miller case, but the issue of a hard border was not addressed. In his ruling in a 2016 case at Belfast High Court, Mr Justice Maguire suggested it was premature to assess how Brexit would affect the peace accord.

Does the Irish Peace Accord rule out a hard border?

Brexit: Does the Irish peace accord rule out a hard border? Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, has told the Irish Parliament that the UK and Ireland must honour the Good Friday Agreement and honour their commitment not to have a hard border.

Will there be a hard border in Northern Ireland?

Sinn Fein has said any hard border in Ireland will lead to further calls for a referendum on Irish unification and is pushing for a border poll to be held in Northern Ireland if there is a no-deal Brexit. What do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate?

Will Brexit affect the Good Friday Agreement and the hard border?

The Good Friday Agreement featured in some of the Article 50 litigation, including the Gina Miller case, but the issue of a hard border was not addressed. In his ruling in a 2016 case at Belfast High Court, Mr Justice Maguire suggested it was premature to assess how Brexit would affect the peace accord.

What is the Northern Ireland border and why is it controversial?

But, in particular, people use it to refer to the UK’s only land border – between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Many people are worried that a hard border here could spark violence in Northern Ireland and potentially go against the Good Friday Agreement. These concerns are real and significant.

What happens to the Good Friday Agreement if there’s a no-deal Brexit?

Leo Varadkar has asserted that if there’s a no-deal Brexit, the UK would still have to accept full regulatory and customs alignment in Northern Ireland as part of its obligations under the Good Friday Agreement. Irish ministers have tended to focus more on the “spirit” argument rather than making specific legal claims.

What was the 1998 Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement referendum about?

In Northern Ireland, voters were asked in the 1998 Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement referendum whether they supported the multi-party agreement. In the Republic of Ireland, voters were asked whether they would allow the state to sign the agreement and allow necessary constitutional changes…