Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922
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| Long title | An Act to empower certain authorities of the Government of Northern Ireland to take steps for preserving the peace and maintaining order in Northern Ireland, and for purposes connected therewith. |
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| Citation | 12 & 13 Geo. 5 c. 5 |
| Territorial extent | Northern Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 7 April 1922 |
| Commencement | 7 April 1922 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973 |
| Relates to | Public Order Act (Northern Ireland) 1951, Flags and Emblems (Display) Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 |
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Status: Repealed
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| Text of the Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk | |
The Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922, often referred to simply as the Special Powers Act, was an Act passed by the Parliament of Northern Ireland shortly after the establishment of Northern Ireland, and in the context of violent conflict over the issue of the partition of Ireland. Its sweeping powers made it highly controversial, and it was seen by much of the Northern Irish nationalist community as a tool of Ulster unionist oppression.
The Act was eventually repealed by the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973, following the abolition of Northern Ireland's parliament and the imposition of direct rule by the British government.
At the start of the twentieth century, the people of Ireland were divided into two mutually hostile factions. The much larger group (nationalists) were mostly Roman Catholic, identified primarily as Irish, and wanted some form of Irish home rule or independence from Britain. The smaller group (unionists), concentrated primarily in the province of Ulster, were mostly Protestant, identified primarily as British (although many saw themselves as Irish and British), and were committed to remaining within the United Kingdom. In the years before World War I, both groups established armed militias intended to enforce their aims and protect their communities from the other side's militias. The British government resolved to partition Ireland in an effort to alleviate unionists and nationalists, with the six most Protestant counties of Ulster forming Northern Ireland while the rest of Ireland achieved self-rule. This was accepted by most unionists as the best deal they were likely to get, but bitterly disappointed many nationalists, especially those who lived in the six counties which became Northern Ireland. Many nationalists on both sides of the border felt that their country had been unjustly divided, and for many decades the Irish government claimed that Northern Ireland was rightfully its territory.
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