Cllr Gary Donnelly raising concerns about Multi-Agency Review Arrangements for prisoners

Cllr Donnelly, who represents The Moor District Electoral Area (DEA), is bringing a motion on MARA to October’s full Council meeting on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

Speaking to The Derry News, Cllr Donnelly said he was doing so because MARA was having an adverse impact on “liberty, family life, political expression and cultural identity”.

“I have been approached by a number of people within the community, including families of political prisoners, community workers and political activists, people who have an interest in civil liberties and human rights, about the operation of the MARA legislation,” he explained.

“Historically in the North, prisoners served 50% of their sentences and received 50% remission. That has now been changed to prisoners serving 75% of their sentence with 25% remission. However, under MARA prisoners are being denied any remission, despite going through a Diplock court, and a whole judicial system that is not ‘normal’.

“Under MARA, you can be punished for where you grew up, where you are going back to live, who your parents are, who you might be working for or with.

“This drives a bus through any semblance of ‘justice’. To me it is an update of the British policy of criminalisation. There are no agencies involved in MARA that reflect on what is the effect on the detained person, and even more important, there are no agencies here that look at how this will affect their families or their children,” said Cllr Donnelly.

In the North, MARA is a framework introduced in 2021 by Stormont’s Department of Justice under Article 50 of the Criminal Justice (NI) Order 2008. It is described as being “designed to assess, monitor, and manage the risks posed by individuals classified as ‘Terrorist Risk Offenders’ (TRO) post-release” from prison.

“MARA is a panel comprising a number of agencies. It includes the PSNI and, it is widely believed, MI5. The term TRO is usually bestowed on people by the PSNI or a judge but MARA does have the capability of putting that label on people - it actually says ‘MARA and their partners’ whoever they are,” said Cllr Donnelly.

“There is no oversight of this process at all. This was highlighted by the Stormont-commissioned Criminal Justice Inspection NI (CJI NI) Review of the Multi-Agency Review Arrangements in Northern Ireland, published in June 2026, highlights this lack of oversight,” he added.

“During their assessment, some prisoners have been asked questions like, do they speak Irish, are they Catholic, do they play Gaelic games, by and large by people who are from England. That goes to a panel and the panel will recommend that release is refused.

“I think everybody should be concerned about MARA, all human rights - civil liberties groups, Irish language organisations and religious people should be concerned. The people who are doing this questioning and assessments have no understanding of the nature of the conflict here, the political or the cultural nature of what is going on here.

“While it may be used against Republican prisoners at the minute, I think we just need to look at what is happening with Palestine Action. It was labelled a terrorist organisation and several thousand people were arrested under that legislation. A lot of people have been charged, including an 80-year-old former priest, numerous pensioners who have never been in trouble in their lives

“We also see the latest reports regarding British Intelligence infiltration of animal rights groups, so my concern is that, if this becomes the norm, this legislation will be used against environmentalists, animal rights activists, political activists, people who are opposing genocide, and that will have huge ramifications,” said Cllr Donnelly.

“Anyone who reads the recent reports into MARA will share their concern,” said Cllr Donnelly.

“The Independent Report on Paramilitary Group Transition to Disbandment by Fleur Ravensbergen, published in September 2026, stated there had been a call ‘for an independent review of MARA which would look at whether it was proportional and compatible with relevant legal standards and the principles of conflict transformation and fit for use in the specific context of Northern Ireland’.

“It added: ‘Careful attention must be paid to ensure that MARA reduces risk rather than entrenches resistance and does not feed a narrative that the state does not treat people from CNR [Catholic Nationalist Republican] communities fairly.’

“In addition, the CJI NI Review of the Multi-Agency Review Arrangements in Northern Ireland found MARA had poor governance. One example of this poor governance was the fact lay advisors were not involved in the process, despite provisions for them to provide public accountability.

“It also identified inconsistent operational processes within MARA. Panels lacked clear structures; decision-making was not always fully documented; case reviews were often reactive rather than planned; and record keeping by supervising officers and prison staff was often inadequate,” said Cllr Donnelly.

CJI NI is described as an independent, statutory inspectorate responsible for assessing the efficiency, effectiveness, and fairness of the criminal justice system in the North.

The full text of Cllr Donnelly’s motion reads: “This Council recognises concerns about the impact of Multi-Agency Review Arrangements (MARA) on liberty, family life, political expression and cultural identity.

“Council notes the calls for independent examination recorded in paragraph 5.30 of Fleur Ravensbergen’s Independent Report on Paramilitary Group Transition (13/10/26), and the significant weaknesses attributed to Criminal Justice Inspection NI (CJI NI) (June 2026) in the independent document received by party leaders and Independent councillors in recent weeks.

“CJI NI’s description of MARA as an appropriate framework does not reconcile with the findings of either papers, nor do they settle whether its continuation is necessary, proportionate or justified.

“Council resolves:

“1. To oppose MARA’s continuation and institutionalisation and call for the arrangements to end.

“2. To call for an independent, non-governmental human rights examination of MARA’s authority, operation, evidence, accountability and effects on individuals and families, including political and cultural identity, equality of treatment and opportunities to challenge decisions.

“To circulate this motion to councils across Ireland.”