The Secretary of State to Northern Ireland has demanded written assurances from the Parades Commission after the High Court found its handling of this year’s Drumcree parade application was “clearly unlawful” – as political reaction to the ruling continues to deepen on both sides of the community.
A Northern Ireland Office spokesperson confirmed that Sir Chris Byrant met the Commission’s chair, Professor Evelyn Collins, on Wednesday to discuss the fallout from the judgment on Portadown District’s annual Drumcree church parade.
“During their discussion, the Secretary of State expressed serious concern over the issues highlighted in the High Court judgment relating to the Orange Order’s annual Drumcree parade,” the spokesperson said.
“He reiterated his view that public confidence in the Commission has been damaged and needs to be restored.”
Sir Chris has now asked for written assurances on three specific points:
– that all of the Commission’s decision‑making processes are “fair and robust”
– that the Commission as a whole, and Commissioners individually, act “independently and impartially at all times”
– that the Commission has “a credible plan to enhance public confidence across all communities”
The spokesperson added: “Sir Chris has asked for a response by close of play on Friday.”
The move comes after Mr Justice McAlinden quashed the Commission’s determination on this year’s Drumcree return route and ordered it to pay full legal costs, prompting a wave of unionist calls for the current Commissioners to resign and for a root‑and‑branch review – or abolition – of the body.
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart, who has been highly critical of the Commission and attended the High Court hearing, responded by insisting that written reassurances alone cannot restore trust.
“It is welcome the Secretary of State is treating this matter seriously, but regrettably assurances from this Commission, no matter how rhetorically loaded they may be, will not suffice,” she said.
“The Secretary of State rightly set the test as being the Commission commanding the support of all communities. Unionism has been very clear: only resignations will suffice.”
Ms Lockhart singled out Commissioner Billy Gamble, arguing that, in light of material aired in court, he “could never conceivably in public law terms sit on any decision pertaining to the loyal orders”.
“He therefore simply cannot discharge his functions, even aside from the public confidence issues,” she said.
The DUP MP renewed her call for an “independent investigation, ideally judge‑led, into the Parades Commission, its governance and structures and the legislative framework itself”.
She also pressed for changes to how decisions are challenged: “For example, at the very least there should be a statutory appeal to the High Court enshrined within the legislative framework in order to provide applicants the opportunity to have decisions judicially scrutinised on their merits without having to resort to Judicial Review proceedings on public law proceedings.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill visited residents on the Garvaghy Road on Wednesday, pledging her “full support and solidarity” and warning against any return to the tensions and violence that made Drumcree one of the most volatile flashpoints of the late 1990s.
“Sinn Féin stands with the people of Garvaghy Road,” she said.
“The sectarianism and the violence visited upon the Garvaghy Road community cannot and will not be allowed to happen again.
“The people of Garvaghy Road have lived peacefully for 28 years, and they deserve to continue doing so. I will continue to stand with the residents and with all those in our society who want to keep moving forward.”
Speaking to media in Portadown, Ms O’Neill said local anxiety had been heightened “by what they saw on display by the leaders of political unionism” following the court ruling.
“What they saw was an ugliness. What they saw was a harken for the days of the past,” she said.
“What they can’t fathom here in this community is: why do the leaders of political unionism want to revisit those dark days? Why do they want to bring that back into this community? People lost their lives.
“I’m very mindful of the Quinn children – the three little boys. Their image is etched in my brain. We cannot allow our society to go back there. None of us want to see this. We want to keep moving forward.”
Pointing to what she described as the transformation of the area over the last three decades, the First Minister added: “That’s what I want for our society too, and I don’t think any right‑minded person out there wants us to revisit the dark days, wants to revisit this onto communities again here.
“I will stand very firm for that, and I’ll work with anybody else out there that wants to build a more positive and progressive society, because that’s what people deserve. That’s what they need from their political leaders – not political leaders actually harken to the days of domination or the days of supremacy, and the triumphalism that they saw on display yesterday.”
