Northern Ireland Humanists has a number of policies and campaigns, working towards improvements in law and policy to enable greater freedom of thought, expression, and choice. At the moment, we are currently working on the following core campaign areas:
Religious Education
Religious Education (RE) in Northern Ireland is governed by the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, the Education Order Northern Ireland 2007, and accompanying guidance from the Department of Education. Under this framework, all grant-aided schools are required to teach RE according to a legally mandated core syllabus. This syllabus is Christian in content, developed by representatives of the four largest denominational churches in Northern Ireland. While schools may supplement the syllabus with additional material, there is no statutory requirement to teach about other religions or non-religious worldviews, such as Humanism. Although parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE, schools are not obligated to provide an alternative educational activity for those who are withdrawn.
What we are doing
Northern Ireland Humanists are actively campaigning to ensure that RE classes in Northern Ireland are inclusive and representative of a range of beliefs and worldviews, including humanist perspectives. Most adults aged 18-54 – those most likely to have children currently in school – strongly support changing how religion is taught and practised in Northern Ireland’s classrooms.
In 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favour of a non-religious father and his child, in a case known as JR87, that the exclusively Christian teaching of Religious Education (RE) and collective worship in Northern Ireland is ‘indoctrination’. This is therefore discriminatory under human rights law. The Court also ruled that the right to withdraw was not stigmatising. Northern Ireland Humanists intervened in the case. This ruling will have wide-ranging implications for the teaching of RE in Northern Ireland and for collective worship across the United Kingdom.
This is a long running case, first heard – and won by the applicant – in the High Court of Northern Ireland in 2022. However, the Northern Ireland Department of Education (DOE) appealed at the Court of Appeal, which ruled in the DoE’s favour. It found that, while the RE curriculum was not objective, critical, or pluralistic, this was not sufficient to conclude there had been a breach of human rights law as this didn’t amount to indoctrination.
The father and child appealed this decision to the Supreme Court, which has now ruled that a curriculum not being ‘objective, critical, or pluralistic’ and its being ‘indoctrinating’ are ‘two sides of the same coin’. The Court also ruled that the right of withdrawal is clearly stigmatising in a context where no other children are withdrawn. Parents having a ‘reasonable apprehension’ of such stigma is ‘sufficient’ enough to mean they do not have to have actually withdrawn their children, and found that stigma does indeed occur.
RE curriculum must be objective, critical, and pluralistic
The ruling requires that RE curricula should not proselytise or indoctrinate, and that parental right of withdrawal alone from RE and collective worship is not a sufficient justification for having a non-objective, uncritical, or non-pluralistic syllabus.
RE in Northern Ireland is almost entirely Christian, with only one module on ‘World Faiths’ at secondary school level. The core syllabus was written by the four big churches and starts with ‘LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1: THE REVELATION OF GOD’.
Unlike RE in the rest of the UK, there is rarely inclusion of humanism, despite the growing population of non-religious people in Northern Ireland, particularly among younger people. Northern Ireland Humanists has argued that RE and school assemblies should reflect the diverse beliefs of the population, both religious and humanist.
Northern Ireland Humanists continue to campaign for an inclusive and rights-respecting education system, one that reflects the full diversity of beliefs held by families today. We are calling for reforms that would end the compulsory collective worship in schools and introduce inclusive assemblies that are suitable for all pupils, regardless of belief. We also want the RE curriculum to be revised to include teaching about a wide range of religions and non-religious worldviews, including Humanism. Through public advocacy, media engagement, political lobbying, and direct legal support, such as our intervention in the JR87 case, we are working to ensure that every child in Northern Ireland can access an education that respects their rights and reflects our shared, pluralistic society.
Collective Worship in Schools
In Northern Ireland, the law requires all grant-aided schools to provide a daily act of collective worship that is broadly Christian in nature. While parents have the legal right to withdraw their children from collective worship, there is no obligation on schools to provide a meaningful alternative for those who do. In practice, this can leave non-religious and minority belief pupils sidelined, isolated, or simply unsupervised during worship sessions.
The JR87 ruling challenges the requirement for daily collective worship in schools. Alongside concerns about Religious Education, the case highlighted how this compulsory worship excludes non-religious pupils and families, failing to respect their rights under human rights law. In response, the Education Minister announced that new guidance would be issued to schools, and that withdrawal would be made ‘straightforward and stigma-free’. A meaningful alternative, such as supervised study, for withdrawn children should be provided. However the Minister stopped short of announcing any reform to Christian collective worship.
What we are doing
In 2025, we commissioned a poll that revealed that most adults aged 18-54 – those most likely to have children currently in school – strongly support changing how religion is taught and practised in Northern Ireland’s classrooms.
Northern Ireland Humanists believe that the current approach to collective worship is outdated and exclusionary. We are calling for reform of the law so that schools are no longer required to provide Christian worship, and instead can offer inclusive assemblies that reflect the diversity of beliefs in modern Northern Ireland.
Denominational schools
Northern Ireland’s education system remains overwhelmingly divided between controlled (Protestant-affiliated) and Catholic-maintained schools, which together educate around 93% of the region’s pupils in institutions designed around Christian ethos and governance structures.
Controlled schools—originally founded by Protestant denominations but now state-run—continue to operate with church-appointed representatives on their boards and uphold Christian collective worship, while Catholic-maintained schools are explicitly managed under the authority of the Catholic Church, embedding Catholic doctrine and religious observance into their daily life. This arrangement ensures that the state-funded school system is, in practice, deeply rooted in Christian identity.
What we are doing
Northern Ireland Humanists strongly oppose state-funded denominational schools, arguing that they are segregative, unfair, and socially divisive, and inconsistent with modern human rights and equality principles. Northern Ireland Humanists have been vocal about how this dominant Christian structure disadvantages non-religious families and children from minority faiths, undermining children’s right to freedom of religion or belief and failing to foster a pluralist society.
Integrated schools were originally established to reduce sectarian division by bringing together Protestants, Catholics, and those from other beliefs, something we welcomed. However, Northern Ireland Humanists and others have observed that, despite this intent, most integrated schools still uphold an essentially Christian ethos, from collective worship and RE curriculum to governance arrangements, meaning they often continue to marginalise non‑religious worldviews unless actively reformed.
Public measures show overwhelming support—up to 71%—for integrated education to become the norm, but NI Humanists caution that integration must go far beyond mere name and admissions quotas: it must embody a departure from Christian dominance in all aspects of school life.
Northern Ireland Humanists advocate a complete reimagining of the school system through a truly non-sectarian structure: one where admissions, governance, and curriculum are neutral in terms of religious or non-religious perspectives. We call for the removal of automatic church representation, the phasing out of Christian-specific governance and worship practices, and the establishment of inclusive state schools that welcome all beliefs equally. Through policy submissions, public advocacy, research partnerships, and campaigns, NI Humanists continue calling for education reform that supports equality, cohesion, and respectful diversity.
Repealing blasphemy laws
Blasphemy laws are a violation of the right to freedom of speech and expression, and are used around the world as a means of harassing, victimising, and discriminating against religion and belief minorities, and therefore impede the right to freedom of religion or belief.
Blasphemy and blasphemous libel remain criminal offences in Northern Ireland, both as a common-law offence and underpinned in legislation by four different Acts, which also used to apply in England and Wales but have been repealed. The Criminal Libel Act 1819, the Libel Act 1843, the Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881, and the Law of Libel Amendment Act 1888, all remain in force in Northern Ireland. These Acts need to be amended to omit references to ‘blasphemy’ to remove these crimes from the statute books.
In depth
Even though a prosecution for blasphemy has not occurred in Northern Ireland since 1855, these laws can still be invoked at any time, as demonstrated in Denmark in 2017 when blasphemy laws were invoked after 46 years of being unused. In the same year, Humanists UK patron Stephen Fry was investigated for potentially breaking the Republic of Ireland’s blasphemy law which had not been used since it was passed in 2009. In 2020, blasphemy ceased to be a criminal offence in the Republic of Ireland after the public voted overwhelmingly for blasphemy to be removed from the Irish Constitution.
Repressive states also use the very existence of blasphemy laws in liberal democracies – even so-called ‘dead letter laws’ – to legitimise their own severe and actively used laws. Pakistan, on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) took its definition of blasphemy directly from Ireland’s (now repealed) provisions on blasphemous libel when calling for international restrictions on ‘defamation of religion’ despite the absence of any prosecutions at that time. Therefore, even if a law has not recently been used to prosecute an individual, its maintenance on statute books has negative consequences for human rights around the world.
Laws that criminalise apostasy (leaving a religion) and blasphemy are among the most significant threats to the rights to freedom of religion or belief and to freedom of expression for the non-religious as well as religious minorities worldwide. Apostasy or blasphemy are punishable by death in 12 countries: Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Yemen. Over 40% of UN member states have blasphemy laws on the books, and 57% of the global population lives under them.
In recognition of the harm that blasphemy laws cause around the world, the UK Government repealed these laws in England and Wales in 2008; Humanists UK was instrumental in securing strong protections on free expression as part of the bill. In Scotland, our sister charity Humanist Society Scotland successfully campaigned against the common law offence of blasphemy, which were repealed in 2024 when the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act came into force.
What we are doing
We actively campaign to see these blasphemy offences abolished in Northern Ireland.
In 2019, we launched a campaign to repeal Northern Ireland’s blasphemy laws, encouraging members to contact their Members of the Legislative Assembly asking them to support the campaign. Almost 1,000 emails were sent. As a result, Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, the Alliance Party, the Green Party, and the People Before Profit Alliance are committed to repeal, with the UUP still developing policy on the matter, and only the DUP opposed.
Northern Ireland Humanists had been working with Justice Minister Naomi Long and then-Finance Minister Conor Murphy to secure repeal. In 2021, the Department of Justice had hoped to bring about repeal through a forthcoming Bill. However, for the Bill to go ahead with enough time to be considered by the Assembly, the focus had to be narrowed to reform laws relating to sexual offences and protections for trafficking victims only. This meant that blasphemy was no longer within the scope of the Bill. Movement on the repeal slowed while the Northern Ireland Assembly was on a 24-month hiatus until 2024.
Equal access and funding for non-religious pastoral carers
In Northern Ireland, over one in four adults now identify as non-religious, according to the latest Northern Ireland Life & Times Survey. Despite this significant presence, institutional pastoral support remains overwhelmingly religious.
While religious inmates and patients in prisons and hospitals benefit from paid chaplains funded by statutory services, non-religious individuals do not, instead relying on volunteer non-religious pastoral carers trained through the Non‑Religious Pastoral Support Network (NRPSN).
There are no paid staff positions for non-religious pastoral care in Northern Ireland prisons or the Northern Ireland Health Trusts, unlike the substantial staffing available for religious chaplaincy. This creates a stark disparity: at HMP Maghaberry, non-religious prisoners make up a substantial share of the population, yet lack paid representation in pastoral support.
Last year, our two volunteer non-religious pastoral carers visited HMP Maghaberry for half a day each week, during which they supported over 500 inmates. Had there been parity of provision, a full‑time equivalent pastoral team member should have been on site, especially given that the prison’s demographic broadly reflects the non-religious proportion in the wider community.
Northern Ireland Humanists have continually challenged this unequal provision. We have trained and accredited non-religious pastoral carers ready to offer volunteer support in hospitals and prisons, though their inclusion is often at the discretion of religious chaplains. We are pressing for formal recognition, equitable funding, and access to chaplaincy teams for non-religious carers so that support aligns with people’s worldviews and is not conditional on belief.
Assisted dying
Northern Ireland Humanists firmly believe that individuals who make a clear, informed decision to end their lives—when legitimately suffering and incapable of self-administration—should have the legal right to assisted dying. Importantly, our position extends beyond terminal illness: we advocate for reform that supports adults who are permanently and incurably suffering, in line with international examples and evolving public sentiment.
In recent years, My Death, My Decision (Northern Ireland) has emerged as a key regional partner, launching in mid‑2024 to champion this issue locally. Polling by MDMD‑NI shows that 67% of adults in the region support assisted dying legislation, reflecting widespread desire for change.. We support MDMD‑NI’s calls for a Citizens’ Assembly in the Assembly to facilitate evidence‑based public deliberation and shape legislation that reflects local values and experiences.
Northern Ireland Humanists proudly stand alongside MDMD‑NI, supporting their work through volunteer contributions from our membership and solidarity in public advocacy. We believe that dignity and personal autonomy at the end of life should not be denied due to legislative inaction.
While assisted dying is not yet legal in Northern Ireland, and assisting someone to travel for a death abroad remains a criminal offence. we remain committed to changing that. We are prepared to support legal action if policymakers fail to introduce compassionate, rights‑based legislation. We aim to ensure that Northern Ireland has a law that is not only just and equitable but responsive to suffering, inclusive of incurably ill adults, and anchored in robust safeguards.
We will continue advocating across political, public, and legal arenas until every adult has the right to choose a safe, compassionate, and legally recognised assisted dying option.
Recent achievements
Free, safe, and legal abortions in Northern Ireland
Thanks to sustained legal challenges, advocacy, and policy interventions, many involving Northern Ireland Humanists and Humanists UK, abortion was decriminalised in October 2019 under the Northern Ireland Act 2019, bringing the region into line with the rest of the UK.
Following this, the Abortion Regulations 2020 and subsequent 2021 Regulations and Directions gave the UK Secretary of State authority to compel the Department of Health to commission and fund abortion services, regardless of political gridlock at Stormont.
In March 2022, the Secretary of State formally directed the Department of Health to commission abortion services, and by December 2022, the UK Government assumed direct responsibility for commissioning across all five Health and Social Care Trusts.
As of early 2024, abortion services are available locally in all five trusts, including early medical abortion up to 12 weeks and surgical abortion up to 20 weeks, with developments underway to expand access in line with regulations.
Despite these reforms, there remain gaps in provision, staffing constraints, and uneven access across trust areas. In cases where services were unavailable or delayed, women were forced to travel to Great Britain or rely on unregulated alternatives, which has resulted in unnecessary barriers and anxiety. While the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has taken legal action over unacceptable delays and lack of commissioning, healthcare delivery has still not achieved full consistency or transparency.
Northern Ireland Humanists are proud to have played an active role in this transformation—intervening in multiple landmark legal cases, briefing MPs and peers, and shaping public ethical debate.
We stand ready to support further legal action if necessary to secure full and timely implementation. Until every woman and pregnant person in the region can access safe, free, high-quality abortion care without delay or discrimination, our work continues.
Humanist and same-sex marriages
Northern Ireland Humanists played a leading role in securing legal recognition for both same-sex and humanist marriages in Northern Ireland. This followed a successful High Court challenge by Laura Lacole and Eunan O’Kane in 2017 and a Court of Appeal ruling in 2018, which determined that denying legal status to humanist ceremonies breached human rights law.
Immediately after the legal recognition, Northern Ireland Humanists launched public campaigns, including Belfast-wide billboards proclaiming ‘Love wins for everyone’, celebrating the first legal same-sex humanist marriage soon after the law changed.
Since then, legally recognised humanist marriages have grown rapidly—with about 60 trained celebrants now delivering bespoke, meaningful ceremonies across the region.
In July 2022, the Northern Ireland Executive announced that humanist marriages would be explicitly written into local marriage law, placing them on equal footing with religious and civil ceremonies. This move, supported by cross-party political agreement, reflects the region’s evolving cultural and religious makeup.
With that milestone secured, our campaign has shifted to celebrating and promoting the incredible humanist ceremonies on offer. Our accredited Humanist Ceremonies celebrants offer deeply personal, inclusive ceremonies for both opposite-sex and same-sex couples—fully legal and tailored to the values of empathy, reason, and equality.
Teacher fair employment
Northern Ireland Humanists played a central role in securing the passage of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, which officially abolished the exemption that previously allowed religious discrimination in teacher recruitment and promotion. Under the previous law, teachers were uniquely exempted from standard equality protections, meaning schools could legally require candidates to share their religious affiliation.
Since 2016, Northern Ireland Humanists have championed the end to this exemption. We submitted detailed responses to public consultations, drafted briefings for MLAs, and encouraged our members and supporters to urge their representatives to support the Bill.
The legislation attracted strong cross-party support in the Assembly during its final vote in March 2022, which was applauded by members of all parties.
When the Act came into force in 2024, Northern Ireland became the first jurisdiction in the UK to remove this outdated teacher exemption, bringing schools in line with broader employment standards across all other sectors. This change mandates that teachers be subject to the same protections as all employees, ensuring that no candidate faces discrimination based on religion or belief in hiring, promotion, or treatment.
Northern Ireland Humanists view this as a landmark victory for fairness and pluralism in education. Teachers should be appointed on merit, not belief. This shift not only strengthens the human rights of school staff but also benefits pupils by creating more diverse role models and supporting a learning environment free from religious gatekeeping.
Organ donation
In June 2023, Northern Ireland introduced a ‘soft opt-out’ organ donation system under Dáithí’s Law (The Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2022), meaning all adults are considered potential donors unless they choose to opt out, with families still consulted before donation.
Northern Ireland Humanists supported this reform through policy engagement, consultation responses, and making the ethical case for a system that saves more lives while respecting individual choice. Named after six-year-old Dáithí Mac Gabhann, who has long been awaiting a heart transplant, the law aims to increase consent rates and reduce transplant waiting times.
We continue to work towards better public awareness, ensuring this vital reform achieves its lifesaving potential.
Page last reviewed: 11 March 2026