An end to discrimination? The Northern Ireland fair employment act of 1989

Abstract

British ministers have called the recent Fair Employment (NI) Act the toughest and most extensive anti‐discrimination measure passed by parliament Radical critics condemned it as incoherent and reflecting limited commitment to equality of employment opportunity for the Catholic minority. This article identifies underlying problems in framing effective equal opportunity legislation, traces the Government's attempt to secure a broad base of support for its new proposals, and identifies the difficulties faced in achieving its ostensible objectives.