PROPOSALS TO create a revised system of dealing with contentious parades that would replace the Parades Commission were published yesterday by First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
Their consultation document proposes replacing the commission with two bodies, the first that would have a dialogue and mediation brief in terms of all parades.
Where it failed to find agreement on specific marches then decisions on these contentious parades would pass to the second special adjudication body comprised of 11 members that was “representative” of the entire community in the North.
The 67-page document, which includes a draft new Bill on parading, is now out for a 12-week consultation which ends on July 14th, two days after the July 12th parades.
The proposals follow from the Hillsborough Castle Agreement, and were devised by a working group of three DUP and three Sinn Féin members.
One of its terms of reference was that there must be “respect for the rights of those who parade, and respect for the rights of those who live in areas through which they seek to parade”.
This would include “the right for everyone to be free from sectarian harassment”.
The bodies have rather unwieldy titles.
The dialogue and mediation body is called the Office of Public Assembly, Parades and Protests, while the adjudication body is called the Public Assemblies, Parades and Protests Body, which has 11 members.
The latter group will have five-member sub-groups who will take decisions.
Where these decisions are appealed, a final decision will be made by the full 11 members, by majority vote if there is not unanimity.
A code of conduct on parading is to be published shortly by Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness.
This will make clear, as does the draft legislation, that it will be a criminal offence for anyone to engage in disruption, harassment or abuse whether parading or protesting.
The loyal orders and nationalist groups opposing parades will be expected to take part in dialogue to resolve disputed parades, and any refusal to do so can be taken into account by the adjudication body.
Minister for Justice David Ford in “extraordinary” situations, with the agreement of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister, would have the ultimate power to ban parades, a power which currently rests with the Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward.