Parades
Thousands of parades by Loyal and Ancient Orders are held across Northern Ireland each year during what is known locally as the “marching season”. Traditionally running from Easter to the end of August, most parades pass off without incident. However, a small minority are contentious. The Parades Commission is responsible for making decisions on these contentious parades, where local accommodation is not reached.
Regulation of parading
In 1996, after severe public order incidents surrounding a contentious parade from Drumcree church in Portadown, the Government commissioned a review into the issue of parades. The review, known as the North Report, recommended that an independent body should take on the power of determining contested parades. The report led to the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 which established the Parades Commission.
The Parades Commission has two roles: it facilitates mediation between parties to disputes over proposed public processions, and it issues determinations in respect of contentious processions.
After Weston Park in 2001, the Government announced its intention to review the operation of the Parades Commission and appointed Sir George Quigley to take forward this review. The Quigley Report was presented to the Secretary of State in November 2002. The Government subsequently introduced legislation enabling the Commission to make determinations in relations to protesters.
Latest developments
Summer 2005 saw a great deal of disruption as a result of contentious parades, culminating in an outbreak of violence and disorder surrounding the Whiterock parade in North Belfast in September. Following on from that, it was particularly encouraging that this year’s parading season passed off peacefully, thanks to the efforts of everyone involved.
It was reassuring that local accommodation was reached in so many cases and that dialogue and mediation were facilitated across some of the most contentious interfaces. Both the “Tour of the North” parade in North Belfast and the Whiterock parade passed off peacefully. It was an indication of this year’s climate that for the first time in over 30 years the military were not deployed on the streets of Belfast on 12 July.
News Releases
- Goggins commends PSNI success in reducing crime Friday 16 May 2008
- Shaun Woodward pays tribute to Robert Dunlop Friday 16 May 2008
- HRH The Earl of Wessex visits Balmoral Show Thursday 15 May 2008
Publications
- Equality Screening Form Public Processions (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 PDF Document, 124 KB
- Draft Northern Ireland The Public Processions (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 PDF Document, 113 KB
- Quigley Review of the Parades Commission PDF Document, 969 KB
- Show all related publications
