UK Government to Repeal 300-Year-Old Irish Court Language Ban

The UK government is set to repeal a nearly 300-year-old penal law that prohibited the use of the Irish language in court proceedings, a move that has been heralded as a historic milestone by Irish language advocates. Secretary of State Hilary Benn announced he will commence Section 4 of the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022, which enables this repeal, having been part of the commitments made in the 2020 New Decade, New Approach agreement. Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, president of Conradh na Gaeilge, emphasized that this change marks a significant victory against historical exclusion and discrimination faced by the Irish-speaking community. The implementation of guidelines for the use of Irish in legal settings will now fall to Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister, Naomi Long. This development aligns Northern Ireland with Scotland and Wales, where similar language bans were lifted long ago. Advocates are calling for these new guidelines to ensure equality and recognition for Irish speakers in public life.