New book by Jamie Bryson aims to address imbalance in publications relating to Northern Ireland’s constitutional position

The book - entitled ‘NI Constitutional Law’ comes with a foreword by DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson who said it was both timely and necessary that “grassroots unionists and loyalists familiarise themselves with our legislative heritage”.

The 380-page book is published by Unionist Voice Publications Ltd, a company set up to facilitate and encourage the unionist/loyalist community to publish various literary contributions.

It brings together all the relevant legal materials relating to the Protocol and its effect on Northern Ireland’s constitutional position.

This includes the Union with Ireland Act 1800, the NI Protocol, Belfast Agreement and key provisions of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

The book, which provides a detailed analysis of the Acts of Union, focusing on its development from 1800 and continued fundamental contemporary application, is the first in the NI Constitutional Law series.

Over the next two years a number of books will be published by Unionist Voice focusing on key areas of constitutional law, relevant to NI’s place within the UK.

Mr Bryson, a regular political commentator, said: “This book is a response to the increased need for accessible resources to equip and empower the grassroots unionist/loyalist community to both develop a deeper knowledge of constitutional law, and increase awareness of its fundamental principles, for the purpose of defending our precious Union.

“In recent times there has been a patently obvious imbalance in publications relating to Northern Ireland’s constitutional position, especially from within established academia.

“In relation to the Protocol, the imbalance has been compounded and there is a danger that these publications take on the status of infallibility, when in truth many of the claims and conclusions are robustly contested, both politically and legally.”

Mr Bryon continued: “It is important to take steps to correct that imbalance, by ensuring the pro Union position is on the record.

“The book is written and published on a not-for-profit basis.

“All monies will be reinvested into publishing pro-Union material and providing constitutional law workshops, with particular focus on empowering the grassroots unionist/loyalist community.”

In his foreward for Jamie Bryson’s book Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said that whether a person considering themselves a unionist or a loyalist, “it is good to know what constitutes the Union and what we are loyal to”.

He writes: “The United Kingdom, of which Northern Ireland is an integral part, is both an economic and a political union. At the heart of its construct are the Acts of Union which in 1800/1801, laid the foundations for our modern day group of nations - the most successful political and economic union in history.”

He said that if one of the chief architects of the Union, Lord Castlereagh, was alive today he would be “appalled” that the Union he helped create is now being undermined.

He writes: “As a parliamentarian and committed unionist, I believe it is timely and necessary that grassroots unionists and loyalists familiarise themselves with our legislative heritage, including the constitutional law that impacts so much on our daily lives.

“If we are loyal to the Union then we need to understand both the law that underpins that Union and the new laws created by the Protocol that threaten its viability.

“It is also crucial to understand why the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill that is currently being deliberated upon in parliament is so important to restoring our place in the Union.

“The case for the Union is strong and those of us who are it’s advocates are more effective when we are better informed and united in our support for it.

“Democratic politics is the most effective, and I would argue, the only effective way to make that case and a good knowledge of the law is important in setting the context for any campaign to protect and promote the Union and oppose the protocol.”