The most senior whip in a political party. He/she ensures that elected representatives attend parliamentary sessions and vote according to party instructions.

The official record of what members say in the Assembly each day and of all the decisions the Assembly makes. It also records written answers to Assembly questions and reports on specific Committee me [..]

Questions to Ministers on topical (current) issues, asked for 15 minutes at the end of the traditional 30 minute Question Time. Ministers are advised 3 days in advance of the names of MLAs asking Ques [..]

When a Bill passes through all of the stages of the law-making process in the Northern Ireland Assembly and receives Royal Assent, it becomes a law and is called an Act.

Temporary Committees that are sometimes set up to look at specific issues, eg, reserved matters that the Secretary of State wishes to consult the Assembly about.

Debates held at the end of the plenary session, usually on a Tuesday, about a matter in a particular constituency. The Minister in charge of the relevant area of government is present for the debate. [..]

The British and Irish Governments reached the Agreement, also called the Belfast Agreement or Good Friday Agreement, on 10 April 1998. Most political parties in Northern Ireland supported the Agreemen [..]

Ministers, Committees or individual MLAs can suggest changes, or amendments, to a Bill. MLAs then debate the proposed amendments in the Assembly Chamber and vote on whether the Bill should be changed. [..]

A political scientist and leading authority on consociationalism – power-sharing models of democracy for segmented societies

See Northern Ireland Assembly.