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A blog from the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service

Governance

Here you will find blogs produced by our research officers in relation to education and skills. Please note that the blogs you will find here are blogs that have been published since 1 May 2022. We also have an archive of blogs where you will find everything published before May 2022.

Brexit

A photograph of the Houses of Parliament from the opposite side of the River Thames and including Westminster Bridge
Understanding the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill: key issues and implications On 4 September 2024, the UK Government introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology (PRM) Bill (the PRM Bill)

Democracy and Government

A portion of a map showing Strangford constituency
The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies made a series of changes to the boundaries of the 18 Northern Ireland parliamentary constituency areas. These were passed into law in 2023

Justice

An illustrative image showing a hand pointing to some superimposed symbols, including a drawing of the scales of justice (image: Adobe Stock images)
This blog article focuses on legal aid available for criminal matters, highlighting ongoing challenges like industrial action by criminal barristers in the Crown Court. It also considers the recommendations
A drawing showing various themes, including women's rights, justice and empowerment
On 26 November, the Assembly discussed 16 Days of Activism, a global campaign against gender-based violence which highlights how violence against women endangers our societies and undermines the core
A decorative image showing the scales of justice under a spotlight
Every year, World Mental Health Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the state of mental health services globally. In Northern Ireland (NI), the intersection between mental health and

Planning

Planning articles will be published here when available.

Statistics and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

A greyscale image showing a patient lying in a hospital bed
People in Northern Ireland can now expect to live into their late seventies and early eighties, yet only to around age 60 in good health. This means many spend
Image showing map of Northern Ireland parliamentary constitutencies
The interactive map highlights the locations (spatial areas) in each of the 18 constituencies where the impact of proposed changes to PIP are likely to be most pronounced.
Image: StockVault, Mohamed Hassan
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) provides an indication of the economic health of a country, but examining happiness can give a clearer picture of the experiences of people living with