Landmark Legislation on the Northern Ireland Mother and Baby Homes Inquiry and Redress Scheme Passes All Stages in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
After decades of campaigning by victims, survivors and their families, a watershed moment has arrived. The Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses Inquiry and Redress Scheme has now passed through all of its legislative stages in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Royal Assent is expected this summer and with it the formal establishment of a public inquiry and a redress scheme.
A Historic Step: The Bill’s Passage Through the Assembly
The significance of this moment cannot be overstated. The Bill was introduced to the Assembly on 16 June 2025 and has since passed through each of its legislative stages. This represents the culmination of years of sustained advocacy by survivors and their representatives and marks the first time that the Northern Ireland institutions have been placed on a formal statutory footing for investigation and redress.
During Committee Stage, the Committee for the Executive Office conducted a rigorous seven month examination of the legislation, publishing its report of 29th January 2026 with 17 recommendations on the inquiry clauses and three further recommendations on the redress provisions. At Further Consideration stage, several critical amendments were debated and adopted, including the extension of posthumous eligibility that had been one of the most contested provisions in the Bill.
Royal Assent is now anticipated during the summer of 2026. Once enacted, the legislation will formally establish a public inquiry into the operation of Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995. A shadow redress service has already been established within the Department of Justice and the Executive has confirmed its intention to open the redress scheme. For the thousands of people affected by these institutions, this is the moment the inquiry is committed to uncovering the truth and providing recognition for the harm they endured.
Extension of the Redress Scheme: A Hard-Won Victory
One of the most contentious aspects of the Bill as originally drafted was the posthumous cut-off date of 29 September 2011. Under that provision, only the families of victims who died after that date would have been eligible to apply for redress – an exclusion that would have shut out vast numbers of bereaved families from any form of recognition.
Following sustained campaigning and notably a reversal of an earlier decision by the Assembly Speaker not to permit debate on the matter, the Assembly approved an amendment extending the posthumous cut-off date to 1953. This brings the Bill into alignments with the threshold applied under the Historical Institutional Abuse redress scheme. This amendment represents a meaningful expansion of eligibility and a significant victory for those who fought it.
When the scheme opens, it will initially offer a standardised payment of £12,000 for eligible victims and survivors, and £2,000 for eligible relatives of deceased persons. Following the inquiry’s conclusion, the Executive has indicated that further legislation will establish a harm-based individualised payment scheme, providing additional compensation reflecting the specific harm suffered.
Why the Baby Farming is Significant
The question of whether private nursing homes fall within the scope of the inquiry has been one of the most contested issues during the Bill's passage. As currently drafted, the Bill lists only eleven institutions as "relevant institutions."
The Truth Recovery Panel's findings lend considerable weight to those arguments. If private nursing homes were used as part of a system designed to conceal pregnancies, separate mothers from their children and facilitate unregulated adoptions, then excluding them from the inquiry risks leaving a significant part of the truth untold.
This is significant because it confirms what survivor groups have long argued: that private nursing homes formed part of the systemic pathways leading to forced adoption and the separation of mothers from their children. If private nursing homes were used to conceal pregnancies, separate mothers from their children and facilitate unregulated adoptions, then excluding them from the inquiry risks leaving a significant part of the truth untold.
Next Steps
If you or a family member were resident in a Mother and Baby Institution, Magdalene Laundry, Workhouse, or a related institution such as a private nursing home or baby home in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995, do not hesitate to contact us.
At P.A. Duffy & Co, we have been working closely with survivors and their families throughout this process and are committed to ensuring that their voices are heard and their rights are protected.
To speak with a member of our team, call us on 028 8772 2102 or email enquiries@paduffy.com.
*This information is intended for general guidance purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice specific to your circumstances.