Ahead of the two-year anniversary of the collapse of Northern Ireland’s devolved government (9 January), Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty’s Northern Ireland Programme Director, said:

“For two years the people of Northern Ireland have had their rights trapped in political limbo as the Stormont crisis continues.

“The absence of a sitting Assembly has blocked advancement on key human rights issues, leaving Northern Ireland far behind the rest of the UK.

“In Northern Ireland, same-sex couples still cannot legally marry, and women are subject to some of the most draconian and outdated abortion laws in the world.

“The UK Government has the power and authority to legislate for change on these urgent human rights issues and cannot keep blaming the Stormont deadlock for inaction. Two years is already far too long. Our rights cannot be sacrificed any longer.” 

Stormont

On 9 January 2017, Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive, collapsing both the Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Attempts to restore power-sharing have failed and the region currently holds the world record for the longest period without a sitting government.