evidence: The Act gives the Irish language official status in Northern Ireland for the first time. It will allow for the use of the Irish language in the courts, repealing the 1737 Act of Justice which had outlawed this. It also provides for the development of both the Irish language and Ulster Scots and their respective cultures and traditions. An important element of this is appointment of an Irish language commissioner and an Ulster Scots commissioner, as well as the establishment of an Office of Identity and Cultural Expression. The objectives of these commissioners and the Office will be to guide public bodies in their implementation of the languages and to monitor the provision of services to minority language users. The Office will also seek to, ‘promote social cohesion and reconciliation between those with different national and cultural identities’ (Article 78H(b) of the Act).