Agreeing to disagree? : a guide to the Northern Ireland Assembly

Northern Ireland is the most complicated piece in the jigsaw of the Labour government's constitutional reform project. The Belfast agreement of 1998 reflected not only the general governmental commitment to devolution, arising originally from its support for Scottish devolution, but also the specific exigencies of a divided society in Northern Ireland and the special relationship between Northern Ireland and the Republic Ireland. This complex political contact has given rise to a fragile array of institutions. This text charts the historical background to the agreement, sets out chapter by chapter the different institutions and their roles, and assesses their future prospects.