Women's group drafts parade legislation

THE Northern Ireland Women's Coalition has produced sample legislation to deal with contentious parades. It has warned the British government it must confront the issue now, before the formal marching season.

It took the coalition just over a week to complete its draft order. This provoked one member, Ms Monica McWilliams, to say: "If we can produce legislation within a week with little resources, why can't the British government, with all the resources at its disposal, come up with legislation?"

She added: "The government says that there is not enough time to lay new legislation before the House. But we note the speed with which legislation on decommissioning was enacted."

The coalition's draft is based on the North Report, which recommended the establishment of an independent commission to decide on contentious parades.

Ms McWilliams said those preparing the North Report had spent six months in consultation with more than 300 groups.

"Delay is not an option. Northern Ireland cannot afford that to happen."

The draft provides for the establishment of a commission to decide on controversial parades, and for fines of up to £2,000, summary convictions and sentences of up to two years for those breaching the regulations.

Ms Pearl Sagar said politicians could not delay just because they were "afraid of upsetting people who may affect them in the next election".

Ms Barbara McCabe of the coalition said: "There have been protests around parades for 200 years. Nothing is going to cure it overnight. But we have to start a process and have to acknowledge that people have concerns and we have to start dealing with those concerns.

Ms McWilliams added that a former RUC chief constable, Sir John Hermon, said in 1986 "that this is what was needed. We're beyond 1996 now and we're still talking about it."

The Northern Ireland Office said in response that contentious parades were a complicated issue demanding consultation.

"The government is pressing ahead in setting up a commission. This will have a mediating, conciliating and educational role."

The Garvaghy Residents Coalition said yesterday it was disappointed that answers had not been received from the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, to a series of written questions it gave him at a meeting three weeks ago.

The questions were drafted by the coalition's legal advisers and dealt with Sir Patrick's role in the Drumcree siege, the role of the RUC and the use of plastic bullets.

A Northern Ireland Office spokesman said the correspondence was being dealt with.