Ban On The Irish Language Has Been Lifted In Northern Irish Courts
Ban On The Irish Language Has Been Lifted In Northern Irish Courts
Text: Izzy Copestake
After 288 years, the penal law banning Irish has been repealed.
A British law from the penal era that banned the use of Irish in Northern Irish courts has been repealed after 288 years. The Administration of Justice (Language) Act 1737 required that all court proceedings “shall be in the English tongue and language, and not any other tongue or language whatsoever”. However, it has now been overturned by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn.
The Identity and Language Act was passed in December 2022, however it has since been pending approval from the Secretary of State. Conradh na Gaeilge welcomed the decision, with its President, Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, calling it “an incredibly historic moment for the Irish language community here in the north”, going on to state “It’s a major victory against centuries of exclusion and discrimination that is testament to the power and resolve of our community.”
Supporters of this have been awaiting the change for centuries, as the same legislation was repealed in Ireland in 1962, and similar laws were repealed in Wales Scotland and England in 1863.
The legislation has been repealed, but Irish language advocates have called on North Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Naomi Long MLA to bring in “robust guidelines” to ensure that the repeal means real change. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn is expected to make the announcement through a commencement order in the House of Commons this week.
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