The clergy have decided to meddle in temporal matters today, specifically the #InternalMarketBill with some Good Friday Agreement grifting thrown in for good measure.

Unfortunately for them the bill in questions doesn’t support such claims.

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#Brexit https://twitter.com/justinwelby/status/1318105356262887424

The specific bit of the GFA they claim is under threat by the #InternalMarketBill is s 6(2) committing the government to incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights into #NorthernIreland law which was subsequently done via the Human Rights Act 1998

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#Brexit

The portion of the #InternalMarketBill they appear to be referring to is Clause 47 that clarifies regulations set under Clauses 44 & 45 that pertain mainly to goods movements & state aid.

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The Human Rights Act is referenced in s 2(a) as well as s 3 of Clause 47 with the implications outlined in s 4

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In s 2(a) it says that regulations under Clauses 44(1) & 45(1)can’t be regarded as unlawful under any “relevant international or domestic law” (I’ll come back to that) & specifically cites that s 6(1) of the Human Rights Act does not apply.

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s 3 “gold plates” the primacy of any regulations made under Clauses 44(1) & 45(1) referencing s 21(1) of the Human Rights Act & s 4 prohibits any legal challenges on the grounds of any such regulations being unlawful.

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As I alluded to earlier any regulations made under Clauses 44(1) & 45(1) “have effect notwithstanding any relevant international or 35 domestic law” but what does that mean?

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Fortunately this is defined later in s 8 of Clause 47 where it specifically says that the Convention Rights referenced in s 1(1) of the Human Rights Act are not covered by the definition of a “relevant domestic of international law”

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So what does all of this mean?

Basically that all regulations made under the aforementioned parts of the #InternalMarketBill can’t be considered unlawful & cant be challenged in court on those or BS Human Rights grounds (bc the Convention Rights are specifically excepted)

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So for example a minister couldn’t make a regulation under Clause 44(1) that removed the requirement for export declarations & reintroduced the death penalty as the latter would be unlawful because it would go against the ECHR conventions rights.

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In my worthless & grotesquely unqualified legal opinion @JustinWelby is engaging in nothing but groundless partisan fear mongering & merely giving succour to those already that use and abuse the Good Friday Agreement for their own narrow political ends.

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Despite the efforts of Most Reverend Archbishop to insinuate otherwise the ECHR Convention Rights are untouched by the #InternalMarketBill & the Good Friday Agreement remains unmolested.

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I’d expect a lot more from the head of the established church, perhaps it’s best he sticks to his core text & pay particular attention to Exodus Chapter 23 Verse 1

“Thou shall not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness”

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