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Unionists as 'court sceptics': exploring elite-level unionist discourses about a Northern Ireland Bill of Rights

Munce, Peter

Authors

Peter Munce



Abstract

One of the most significant characteristics of the peace process in Northern Ireland has been the profound importance attached by a range of academic, political and non-governmental actors to the concept of human rights. However, unionists, more so than other elite-level political actors in Northern Ireland, have expressed scepticism about proposals from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) for a Northern Ireland Bill of Rights. This article explores how unionists relied on a ‘court sceptic' narrative to argue against the Bill of Rights proposals. It argues that at one level unionist reliance on ‘court sceptic' arguments can be conceived of as instrumental in the sense that it was a mere tactical response to, as unionists argue, the inflation by the NIHRC of their mandate contained in the Good Friday Agreement to devise a Bill of Rights. However, at another level unionists reliance on ‘court sceptic' arguments can also be traced to their constitutional experience within the British polity.

Citation

Munce, P. (2013). Unionists as 'court sceptics': exploring elite-level unionist discourses about a Northern Ireland Bill of Rights. British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 15(4), (647-667). doi:10.1111/j.1467-856X.2012.00509.x. ISSN 1369-1481

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date May 2, 2012
Publication Date 2013-11
Deposit Date Nov 13, 2014
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal British journal of politics and international relations
Print ISSN 1369-1481
Electronic ISSN 1467-856X
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 15
Issue 4
Pages 647-667
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-856X.2012.00509.x
Keywords Political Science and International Relations; Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/466117
Publisher URL http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-856X.2012.00509.x/abstract
Additional Information Authors' accepted manuscript of article: Munce, P. (2013), Unionists as ‘Court Sceptics’: Exploring Elite-Level Unionist Discourses about a Northern Ireland Bill of Rights. The British Journal of Politics & International Relations, 15: 647–667. doi:10.1111/j.1467-856X.2012.00509.x

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