How will the fledgling Northern Ireland Assembly fare post Paisley? asks Seamus Burns
Since the Assembly's latest resurrection and reincarnation last May, the Assembly members (MLAs) have been exercising their new-found law-making powers to pass primary legislation under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (NIA 1998)—effectively the written constitution of Northern Ireland.
Areas that the Assembly has no jurisdiction to legislate on—excepted matters—are defined fully in NIA 1998, Sch 2 and include: the Crown; the UK Parliament; Parliamentary elections; the franchise; international relations; defence; nuclear weapons; nationality; immigration; asylum;