The Minister of Home Affairs was a member of the

Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

(

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

) in the

Parliament of Northern Ireland The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended because of its inability to restore ord ...

which governed

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

from 1921 to 1972. The Minister of Home Affairs was responsible for a range of non-economic domestic matters, although for a few months in 1953 the office was combined with that of the Minister of Finance. Under the

Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922 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 cont ...

, the Minister was enabled to make any regulation necessary to preserve or re-establish law and order in Northern Ireland. The act specifically entitled him to ban parades, meetings, and publications, and to forbid inquest

One of the position's more problematic duties was responsibility for parades in Northern Ireland under the Special Powers Act and from 1951 the

Public Order Act Public Order Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used for legislation in Malaysia, Rhodesia, Sierra Leone, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, relating to public order offences. List Hong Kong *The P ...

. Parading was (and is) extremely contentious in Northern Ireland, and so the Minister was bound to anger one community or other regardless of what decision he made. Ministers generally allowed parades by the Orange Order and other

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

groups to go where they wanted, while restricting

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...

parades to

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

areas and banning

republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

or anti-partitionist parades. Communist and other far-left parades were also sometimes banned. From time to time Ministers, for example

Brian Maginess William Brian Maginess, QC (10 July 1901 – 16 April 1967), was a member of the Government of Northern Ireland, who was widely seen as a possible successor to The 1st Viscount Brookeborough as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Life He was ...

, attempted to administer the parading issue more fairly, but usually suffered career damage as a result. The parading issue may be the reason why the Home Affairs portfolio changed hands more often than most other Ministerial positions. In 1970, the office was combined with that of

Prime Minister of Northern Ireland The prime minister of Northern Ireland was the head of the Government of Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. No such office was provided for in the Government of Ireland Act 1920; however, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, as with governo ...

with John Taylor serving as a cabinet rank junior minister, and then abolished along with the rest of the Northern Irish government in 1973.

Ministers of State

*1970–1972 John Taylor

Senior Parliamentary Secretaries

*1971–1972 Albert Anderson

Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs

*1921 – 1925

Robert Dick Megaw Robert Dick Megaw (26 October 1867 – 2 May 1947) was an Irish barrister and a Unionist politician. Megaw was born in Ballymoney on 26 October 1867, the son of farmer John Megaw and Ellen Dick. He was educated at Ballymoney Intermediate Schoo ...

*1925 – 1937

George Boyle Hanna George Boyle Hanna, KC (17 December 1877 – 30 October 1938) was a Northern Irish barrister, unionist politician and county court judge. He was born at Linen Hall Street in Ballymena, County Antrim, the son of auctioneer Robert Hanna and Mar ...

*1937 – 1938

John Clarke Davison John Clarke Davison (19 April 1875 – 19 February 1946) was a barrister and Unionist politician in Northern Ireland. Davison was educated at Coleraine Academical Institution and Trinity College, Dublin and was called to the Irish Bar in 1898. H ...

*1938 – 1940

Edmond Warnock John Edmond Warnock PC(NI) KC (1887–19 December 1971Ian McAllister and Richard Rose, ''United Kingdom Facts'', p.60) was an Irish barrister and politician. Born in Belfast, he was educated at Methodist College Belfast and Trinity College, Dub ...

*1940 – 1943

William Lowry The Rt Hon. William Lowry, PC (NI), KC (19 March 1884 – 14 December 1949), was a Northern Irish barrister, judge, Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament, and Attorney General for Northern Ireland Career Born in Limavady, he was educated ...

*1943 – 1944

Wilson Hungerford Sir Alexander Wilson Hungerford (1884 – 19 January 1969), known as Wilson Hungerford, was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland. Born in Belfast, Hungerford was employed by the Irish Unionist Party from 1912. In 1921, he became Secretary ...

*1944 – 1955 vacant *1955 – 1956

Terence O'Neill Terence Marne O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of the Maine, PC (NI) (10 September 1914 – 12 June 1990), was the fourth prime minister of Northern Ireland and leader (1963–1969) of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). A moderate unionist, who sought ...

*1956 – 1963 vacant *1963 – 1964

William Kennedy Fitzsimmons William Kennedy Fitzsimmons (31 January 1909 – 21 February 1992) was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland. Born in Belfast, Fitzsimmons studied at Skegoneill National School and Belfast Technical College. He became a domestic enginee ...

*1964 – 1969 vacant *1969 Robert Porter *1969 – 1970 John Taylor *1970 office abolished

References

{{Northern Ireland ministerial positions 1921-72 Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland Law of Northern Ireland 1921 establishments in Northern Ireland 1972 disestablishments in Northern Ireland