The Emergency Powers Act (Northern Ireland) 1926 (16 & 17 Geo.

The act gave the Governor of Northern Ireland the authority to declare a state of emergency and issue proclamations if: Proclamations of emergency would be in force until the Governor themselves revoked it.

The Governor, by Order in the Privy Council of Northern Ireland, would also issue regulations to secure the 'essentials of life to the community' and give powers to the relevant Minister of the government of Northern Ireland to also secure essentials, as defined above.

The maximum punishment for breaking a regulation would be prison 'with or without hard labour, for a term of three months, or a fine of one hundred pounds, or both such imprisonment and fine, together with the forfeiture of any goods or money in respect of which the offence has been committed'.

On 19 May 1974 Merlyn Rees, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, signed a proclamation of a State of Emergency in the region under the amended Act, following the outbreak of the Ulster Workers' Council strike which eventually led to the collapse of the Sunningdale Agreement.