Parades Commission chair insists she will not resign over Drumcree court ruling

The chair of the Parades Commission has said she will not resign following criticism of the body after the High Court quashed its determination over the Drumcree parade in Portadown.

Professor Evelyn Collins said she accepted criticism from the court, but insisted that the commission did not make decisions by WhatsApp.

A court hearing earlier this week heard that the commission’s decision to place restrictions on this year’s Orange Order July march at Drumcree had not been considered in its “final form” by all members of the commission.

High Court judge Mr Justice McAlinden referred to “errors”, “shortcuts”, and “sloppy procedures” in the approach of the commission to making its determination.

The Parades Commission, which adjudicates on contentious marches, has blocked the order from marching along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown in July every year since 1998.

Some unionist politicians have called for the resignation of the commissioners following the High Court ruling.

Professor Collins told the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme: “We accept the criticisms that have been made, and we take the issues that were raised by the court very seriously.

“And obviously, we’ve heard calls for resignation; rather than resign the commissioners and I are very committed to fulfilling our responsibilities under the legislation, to completing our terms of office and to addressing and fixing the problems that have been identified.

“We’ve already addressed the main concern.

“The court identified that not all commissioners signed off the final text of the draft, so that practice has changed.

“We have also initiated a review of all processes to ensure they’re lawful, appropriate and follow best practice.”

The stand-off at Drumcree made headlines in the 1990s with nationalist residents of the Garvaghy Road resolutely opposed to the parade passing through the area, leading to violent clashes for several summers and political tensions necessitating a major security operation.

The Orange Order has unsuccessfully applied for more than a quarter of a century to complete its 1998 walk along its traditional route.

Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant has said public confidence in the Parades Commission has been “damaged” by the court ruling on Tuesday and has asked Professor Collins to come up with a “credible plan to enhance public confidence across all communities”.

Asked if the commission could continue in its current form, the chair said: “Well, that’s a matter for Sir Chris Bryant. I will reply to his letter that I’m expecting today, setting out our plans to restore public confidence and to continue to do our job in an objective and impartial way.”

Asked if she felt the need to resign, Professor Collins said: “I don’t. I am committed to making things right in this instance.”

The chair also responded to concerns about how the Drumcree determination was reached, in particular the exchange of messages between commissioners.

She said: “I want to make clear first of all that decisions are not taken by WhatsApp by the Parades Commission.

“That’s simply not the case, and there is no evidence to support that.

“We sometimes use WhatsApp as a means of alerting commissioners to matters that require their attention, usually sent by email.

“The decision itself was discussed fully and taken at the commission meeting on June 24, at which all commissioners were present after careful consideration of a wide range of information and representation.

“So, all commissioners were involved fully in what the conditions should be, fair and proportionate conditions in respect of this parade.”