Bryant orders independent review of Parades Commission

The Parades Commission will be allowed to continue its work without changes to its membership, Northern Ireland Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant has announced.

Instead of changes, he has ordered an independent review of the commission.

There have been calls for the commissioners to lose their posts as a result of a recent court case that exposed flaws in some of their procedures around a proposed Orange Order parade in Portadown in July.

The Parades Commission said it welcomed the secretary of state's support for its commissioners and "will cooperate fully" with the independent review.

A decision by the commission to impose restrictions on the Drumcree parade was quashed in the High Court last week.

Since then, one member of the six-person commission, Billy Gamble, has stepped down but there were calls for more resignations.

The Orange Order and unionist politicians have insisted that the commission chair Professor Evelyn Collins and other members should stand down or be removed.

Sir Chris last week asked the commission to outline how they intended to rebuild lost confidence in their work.

He received their plan on Friday evening, then spoke to the commission on Tuesday morning.

He has now concluded that all five members, including the chair, should stay in their positions in spite of the court case.

Sir Chris said: "I have considered the commission's response to that ruling and, while I am satisfied that the issues raised are being taken seriously and progress is being made, I have decided that an independent review is needed to provide assurance on and consider improvements to the commission's processes and procedures.

"This will strengthen the commission's immediate and future work.

"In the meantime, the current commissioners have my full backing. It is in the public interest that they continue their critical functions as we work together to restore public trust in this vital institution."

One of the commission's next tasks will be to consider a request by the Orange Order for another Drumcree parade.

It would include walking along the largely-nationalist Garvaghy Road on the Order's return from a service at the Church of Ireland at Drumcree.

Sinn Féin councillor Catherine Nelson last week said such a parade was "off the table" as residents would not agree to it.

Although the Orange Order have not got the resignations they wanted, a review of the commission was one of their demands in recent days.

The independent review will be led by a judge, but no name has yet been made public.

Sir Chris has asked officials to launch a public appointments process as soon as possible to appoint commissioners.

Existing commissioners are approaching the end of their three-year terms of office.

The secretary of state encouraged all communities to support the work of the commission.

He said: "I would urge everyone to support the independent judge-led review and to give the commission time and space to rebuild confidence and regain its footing.

"There is no justification for anyone stepping outside the law, including in relation to the lawful notification of parades."

DUP MP Carla Lockhart described the judge-led review as a "significant victory for unionism, the marching bands and loyal orders".

But she said by the secretary of state giving his full backing to the remaining commissioners, and by "attaching himself to them, his credibility falls with theirs".

Sinn Féin councillor Catherine Nelson said the government is "now choosing to indulge the dangerous and reckless actions of unionist leaders".

"The British government should be ensuring that the right to live free from sectarianism is protected, rather than pandering to unionist supremacist demands," Nelson added.

The TUV leader Jim Allister said Sir Chris is "hiding behind a review".

"By his climbdown the secretary of state has compounded the farce that now governs parading.

"He is much diminished by his retreat from the principle of public confidence which he proclaimed."

The Parades Commission said it "welcomes the secretary of state's recognition of its important work, his support for the commissioners and our plan to address the issues raised in the recent court proceedings".

It said it was "committed to working to restore public confidence in it and recognises the importance of progressing our plans to do so promptly".

In addition to commissioning its own independent review into its procedures, the commission is to review its media and communications strategies and said it will meet "all relevant stakeholders in the coming period".

In 1998, the Parades Commission ruled that the Orange Order should not march down Portadown's Garvaghy Road on the end leg of its annual march from Drumcree Church.

It was a move that sparked some of the most serious public disorder in Northern Ireland's history and led to a decades-long parading dispute.

Stand-offs continued in subsequent years as members of the Order walked to police barricades in protest at the restrictions.

Protests were also held by residents living along the Garvaghy Road.