The Northern Ireland Bill - hailed by Northern Ireland secretary, Shaun Woodward, as an "essential stepping stone" to the completion of devolution in Northern Ireland - completed all its Commons stages yesterday.
Amid claims that the legislation was being railroaded through, the Bill - which paves the way for the devolution of justice and policing in the province - completed second reading, committee and report stages before being given a third reading without a vote and was sent to the House of Lords.
Woodward set the Bill in context and addressed concerns over the rate of devolution but he told the House how far things had developed in Northern Ireland:
"I recognise that for some the pace of change remains daunting, and of course there is still confidence to be built. However, I believe that we are unanimous in recognising that the peace and prosperity that Northern Ireland enjoys today is a fundamental consequence of the political process. When the St. Andrews agreement was concluded in October 2006, and when the devolved institutions became operational in 2007, it was hoped that there would be sufficient community confidence to allow for the transfer of policing and justice powers by May 2008. The government committed to do all that we could to ensure that when the Assembly was ready to ask for the transfer of powers, the necessary enabling legislation would be in place."
Woodward also said the lightning-quick consideration would send a message to criminals that "the political process is winning".
The Bill puts in place a framework to enable the transfer of police and justice powers when requested by the Assembly at Stormont and approved by Parliament.
Woodward was quick to point out that it would not allow devolution of policing and justice to go ahead now or impose a model for the new Department of Justice.
Woodward said that under the terms of the deal, the Assembly would need to decide on future arrangements for ministerial oversight of the Justice Department before May 1, 2012 - otherwise the department would automatically dissolve on that date.
The SDLP - who feel they should be entitled to the ministry under the D'Hondt system - warned the legislation was defective and could result in a "very dangerous situation" where Northern Ireland had a Justice Department without a minister or vice versa.
Party leader Mark Durkan told MPs: "There will be a zombie minister, nominally the minister for justice, a minister in office but with no office to go to, no office to sit in, no private office staff to talk to - that is the nonsense we are legislating for in this Bill."
Durkan also said Assembly elections in 2011 could lead to a further stand-off between the DUP and Sinn Fein.
And he criticised the agreement suspending D'Hondt provisions for the Justice Minister, adding: "What we have here is legislation which allows for gerrymandering in Northern Ireland 2009."
But Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said the Bill represented a "significant step" towards growing confidence in the province with regards to policing and justice.
He said the methodology would allay fears in the unionist community that Sinn Fein would end up in control of the Justice Department.
Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Owen Paterson said it was for the Assembly to decide when "all parts of the community consider the time to be right" for the devolution of the powers, while Lib Dem spokesman Alistair Carmichael described the transfer as "the final piece in the devolutionary jigsaw".
The devolution of justice and policing was a crucial part of the 2006 St Andrews political deal, which set a target date of May last year for the transfer.
The Bill now goes to the Lords next week where it is due to complete all its stages in two days.
Progress
House of Commons
First reading: February 23 2009 [HC Bill 62]
Second reading: March 4 2009
Committee stage: March 4 2009
Report stage: March 4 2009
Third reading: March 4 2009
House of Lords
First reading: March 4 2009 [HL Bill 28]
Second reading: March 9 2009
Committee stage: March 11 2009
Report stage: March 11 2009
Third reading: March 11 2009
Royal Assent
March 12 2009: Northern Ireland Act 2009
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd