Former long-standing Drumcree spokesman says High Court case could have impact on parades across Northern Ireland
An Orangeman who had been the long-time spokesman for the order over the Drumcree dispute has said that the current court challenge could have ramifications much wider than just that one parade.
David Jones said Friday’s High Court hearing in Belfast over the case is the most significant development since 1998, when the Parades Commission was set up, and shows the commission is not “untouchable”.
Mr Jones was Portadown district secretary when the dispute flared in 1996 until he stepped down from the role five years ago.
He remains active in the district (he belongs to LOL 322) but no longer holds office.
He was reacting to Friday’s application for a judicial review into the decision to refuse the Orange Order permission to march from Drumcree Parish Church down the Garvaghy Road towards the centre of Portadown.
The case is being taken on behalf of a Portadown Orangeman and among those involved in the legal challenge before Mr Justice McAlinden is Jamie Bryson.
Mr Bryson has said the upshot of Friday’s hearing is that the Parades Commission will now have to account for its decision-making.
Mr Jones said that even if the judge rules in favour of the commission on this particular parade, the case will have shone a light on its inner workings – and that could have a ripple effect on many other parades.
"What this High Court [case] will help do, we believe, is it will help to explore some of the deficiencies there are within the Parades Commission,” he said.
Asked if this could have ramifications for other parades besides Drumcree, he said: “I believe so, yes – without a doubt.
“I think that for so long whenever the district was speaking to Prime Ministers and all the rest, it seemed to be the Parades Commission were untouchable – nobody could do anything or say anything to them.
“Now, for the first time, the High Court is saying ‘right, we want to see your documentation and how you make your decisions’.
“Now we believe that will immediately show a flaw…
"I’m sure the process that’s been used [will be] found to be deficient, and I don’t doubt that the same process has been used for other parades.
"Common sense would dictate there must have been deficiencies there as well.”
He added: “I think essentially it might waken up some of the politicians that set the Parades Commission into motion and might get them to actually say ‘this Parades Commission isn’t fit for purpose and either needs to be simply done away with or needs to be revamped’.”
What if this eventually leads to a parade down the Garvaghy Road?
In that case, Mr Jones said he hopes “that those in Garvaghy Road who stood behind the rulings of the Parades Commission whenever it prevented the parade would stand behind the ruling of whoever makes it so that the parade could go ahead, and that they wouldn’t suddenly decide to cause a riot and to block off the road like happened in ‘98 and ‘99”.
Is this the most significant development since 1998?
"I believe so,” he said. “For the first time, the Parades Commission is under scrutiny, and that’s something that hasn’t happened to it since its creation.”
As to why this judicial review tactic has not been used before now, Mr Jones said: “Ah well, I don’t know. Just sometimes these things take their time.”
The Parades Commission was approached but said it would not comment.