A legal challenge against the decision to ban an Orange Order procession along Garvaghy Road in Portadown has been adjourned until Monday, 12 October.
Lawyers for the Order attended the High Court in Belfast on Saturday seeking an emergency judicial review of the Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant’s decision.
Duty judge Denise McBride acknowledged the urgency but said the case was not an emergency and that significant material still needed to be obtained, ITV News reported.
The adjournment does not settle whether the ban was lawful. (itv.com)
Police warning prompted government intervention
Bryant announced the ban on Friday, 9 October, following an almost two-week stand-off between Orange Order members and residents opposing the march.
The Parades Commission had permitted a restricted procession from Drumcree Church through Garvaghy Road on 27 September. However, protesters blocked the route and the march did not proceed.
In a statement published by the Northern Ireland Office, Bryant said PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher had requested a review of the permission.
Boutcher advised that facilitating the procession would require a major police intervention carrying unacceptable risks of serious injury, disorder and unrest spreading elsewhere in Northern Ireland.
Bryant said circumstances had changed considerably since the original permission was granted. The government confirmed that he had made an order under Section 11 of the Public Processions legislation. (gov.uk, news.sky.com)
Orange Order seeks urgent meetings
The Orange Order expressed disappointment and accused the authorities of giving way to threats of disorder.
It said it would seek urgent meetings with Bryant and Boutcher to challenge their decisions. It also urged its members to remain responsible and act lawfully.
Bryant thanked the Portadown lodge for its peaceful conduct and cooperation with the police. He called for protests, rallies and demonstrations to stand down so community relations could begin to recover. (itv.com, gov.uk)
Long-running dispute divides political opinion
The Garvaghy Road route passes through a mainly nationalist area. Restrictions had prevented the Drumcree procession from using it since 1998, following serious confrontations during the 1990s.
The Order regards its parades as part of its Protestant cultural tradition, while opponents object to the procession passing through their community.
Sky News reported that Sinn Féin, the SDLP and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin welcomed the ban. DUP leader Gavin Robinson criticised the decision and questioned whether the authorities had upheld the Order’s rights. (news.sky.com)
