On Friday the 29th November 2024, the Law School hosted the interdisciplinary conference, ‘Article 2 Windsor Framework Conference: Unpacking Law and Policy Challenges’, which brought together leading legal scholars, practitioners, and political scientists to take stock of recent developments in WF Article 2 case law as well as examining the broader implications of the provision in relation to issues such as environmental rights, frontier workers, social rights, and immigration policy. The conference, which was organised by Professor Billy Melo Araujo (QUB - Law), was funded by the ESRC PostBrexitGovernanceNI project and co-hosted by the Queen’s International Economic Law Centre (Q-IEL).

The event opened with remarks from Professor David Phinnemore (QUB - Politics) who highlighted the significance of recent developments regarding WF Article 2 and emphasized the central role that the PostBrexitGovernanceNI project has played in informing debates about Northern Ireland's post-Brexit governance and regulatory environment.

Conference speakers examined key aspects of WF Article 2 and its wide-ranging implications for different policy areas. Professor Colin Murray (Newcastle - Law) and Professor Eleni Frantziou (Durham - Law) focused on the interplay between WF Article 2 whilst Professor Chris McCrudden (QUB - Law) and Ms Htaik Win (NIHRC) turned to the recent case law on Article 2 of the Windsor Framework, discussing respectively the significance of the so-called “SPUC test” and the challenges faced by practitioners bringing judicial review cases under this provision. Dr. Lisa Claire-Whitten (QUB - Politics) presented a compelling discussion on the intersection between WF Article 2 and environmental protection whilst Professor Ruth McAreavey and Dr. Katharine Wright (Newcastle - Sociology) explored the impact of Brexit on women, peace and security in Northern Ireland

The conference also addressed pressing issues in immigration and asylum policy, with Professor Colin Harvey (QUB – Law) and Mr. John McGrath (Brian Feeney Co Solicitors) discussing the latest developments in these areas under the provisions of WF Article 2. The final presentation of the day was delivered by Dr. Sylvia de Mars (Newcastle – Geography, Politics and Sociology), who explored the impact of Brexit on the rights of frontier workers and their families as well as the role WF Article 2 could play in protecting such rights.

This event underscored the interdisciplinary nature of the issues surrounding WF Article 2, offering valuable perspectives on how this provision stands to affect various regulatory and policy areas, including human rights, immigration, environmental protection, and social issues.