Conradh na Gaeilge, the democratic forum for the Irish-speaking community, has welcomed the news that the British Government is set to repeal a centuries-old law that forbids the use of Irish in courts.
Conradh na Gaeilge said on Tuesday that it has been confirmed by Northern Ireland's Secretary of State Hilary Benn MP that he will, this week, commence Section 4 of the Identity and Language Act (2022) to “repeal the Administration of Justice (Language) Act (Ireland) 1737," a penal-law era piece of legislation that bans the use of Irish in courts in the North.
Whilst the new Identity and Language Act was passed in December 2022, the clause triggering the repeal of the 1737 legislation has been awaiting approval by Northern Ireland's Secretary of State.
Conradh na Gaeilge said on Tuesday that it has been officially informed that the Secretary of State will officially repeal the 1737 legislation this week.
In the same correspondence, whilst confirming it is his role to repeal the ban, the Secretary of State made it clear that “the implementation of the Act, including these provisions, is a matter for the Executive.”
It will, therefore, fall to the Justice Minister, Naomi Long MLA, to bring forward the guidelines setting out the use of Irish in legal, court, and tribunal settings following the removal of the ban.
🚨 Historic milestone as 1737 penal-law era ban on Irish in Courts is finally to be repealed at Westminster this week 🚨
- SOS Hilary Benn MP to make announcement in House of Commons this weekStatement and Story in full: https://t.co/JIWcp1t5j6
Buíochas le @KRWLaw @CAJNi pic.twitter.com/IkqAasMMjp
— Conradh na Gaeilge ⭕️ (@CnaG) February 25, 2025
"Incredibly historic"
Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, the newly elected President of Conradh na Gaeilge, said on Thursday: “This is an incredibly historic moment for the Irish language community here in the north, a major victory against centuries of exclusion and discrimination that is testament to the power and resolve of our community.
"Whilst similar legislation was repealed in Wales, Scotland, and the south long, long ago, once again, Irish speakers here in the north were, as always, left behind, as an ongoing legacy of colonial policy designed to eradicate the Irish language from all vestiges of public life.
"Only the immense grass-roots campaign for language rights, which brought over 20,000 people onto the streets of Belfast, would bring us closer to a society where Irish speakers are afforded the same rights as everyone else.”
Mac Giolla Bhéin added: “The Irish language must have equal status in all of our public and shared spaces. That is what equality looks like.
"Now that this penal-era ban has finally been repealed, it is up to the Executive to ensure the provision underpinning Irish speaking rights in our legal arenas are based on best practice and equality.
"We have written to the Justice Minister, who is, from this point on, responsible for setting out the new Irish language policy of our courts and legal systems, to ensure we the needs and expectations of our community are realised in full.”
"Watershed moment"
Representing Conradh na Gaeilge, Niall Murphy from KRW Law, said: “This announcement from the British Government is a major milestone in the ongoing journey towards comprehensive language rights for Irish speakers here in the north.
“It is now imperative that the Justice Minister brings forward robust guidelines that recognises the ever-growing community of Irish speakers across our society and facilitates their inclusion in our legal services and spaces.
“This watershed moment in the Irish language movement must have a real-life and practical impact on all of those people who chose to live their lives through the Irish language, ending centuries of marginalisation and exclusion from public life."
Irish language community to strike
The news that the legislation is set to be repealed comes the day before Conradh na Gaeilge will join over 40 Irish-language and Gaeltacht groups in a half-day strike on Wednesday, February 26 as part of the RAIC (Solution Now, Fair Investment) campaign.
The strike, Conradh na Gaeilge said, is being organised to call on both Governments north and south to reverse the latest cuts of €820,000 announced recently by Foras na Gaeilge by providing the appropriate funding to Foras na Gaeilge now and to urgently develop a long-term solution for Irish language funding.
🚨STAILC | STRIKE🚨
📅26 Feabhra 2025 📅
Tá an stailc á heagrú le héilimh ar an 2 Rialtas thuaidh theas aisiompú a dhéanamh ar na ciorruithe is úire de €820,000 ar mhaoiniú @ForasnaGaeilge
We call on both Governments for an urgent north/south solution to the Irish language… pic.twitter.com/0kVp82oEPy
— Conradh na Gaeilge ⭕️ (@CnaG) February 24, 2025
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