The Northern Ireland Executive
The Northern Ireland Executive is made up of the First Minister, the deputy First Minister and 11 other ministers. Meetings of the Executive are jointly chaired by the First Minister and deputy First Minister, and can also be attended by Junior Ministers and the Attorney General for Northern Ireland.
The Executive
The Executive exercises executive authority on behalf of the Northern Ireland Assembly. It takes decisions on significant and controversial issues - matters which cut across the responsibility of two or more ministers, or which require a common Executive position, and on legislation proposed by ministers.
The Executive also agrees a Programme for Government and the Northern Ireland budget for approval by the Assembly.
Appointed by the Assembly
The First Minister and deputy First Minister are nominated by the largest and second largest political parties respectively and act as joint chairs of the Executive.
Departmental ministers, with the exception of the Minister of Justice, are nominated by the political parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly, in accordance with their share of seats in the Assembly (calculated using the d’Hondt system). The Minister of Justice is appointed following a cross-community Assembly vote.
Ministerial Code
The Ministerial Code sets out the rules and procedures to which all ministers must adhere. It includes the Pledge of Office, the Ministerial Code of Conduct, and the seven principles of public life, as well as provisions governing the functioning of the Executive Committee.
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