The Parades Commission is a

quasi-judicial A quasi-judicial body is non-judicial body which can interpret law. It is an entity such as an Arbitration, arbitration panel or tribunal, tribunal board, that can be a public administrative agency but also a contract- or private law en ...

non-departmental public body In the United Kingdom, non-departmental public body (NDPB) is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to public sector organisations that have a role in the process of n ...

responsible for placing restrictions on any

parades in Northern Ireland Parades are an important part of the culture of Northern Ireland. Although the majority of parades are held by Ulster Protestant, unionist or Ulster loyalist groups; Irish nationalist, republican and non-political groups also parade. The Parades ...

it deems contentious or offensive. It is composed of seven members, all of whom are appointed by the

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...

. Restrictions it can impose include a prohibition on music being played, re-routing parades to avoid contentious areas, or banning certain participants based on previous breaches of its determinations. Its rulings are usually enforced by either parade stewards or the

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

, though there are disputes as to whether this is done to the

letter of the law The letter of the law and the spirit of the law are two possible ways to regard rules, or laws. To obey the letter of the law is to follow the literal reading of the words of the law, whereas following the spirit of the law means enacting the ...

in certain areas. The Commission acts under the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998. Parade organisers and participants are liable to arrest and prosecution for breaching any of the Commission's rulings, although no-one has been charged since the Commission was established in 1998. A section 6(7) offence has a maximum punishment of six months imprisonment or level five on the

standard scale The standard scale is a system in Commonwealth law whereby financial criminal penalties (fines) in legislation have maximum levels set against a standard scale. Then, when inflation makes it necessary to increase the levels of the fines the legisl ...

. The Commission was set up after the large-scale civil strife that followed the

Drumcree conflict The Drumcree conflict or Drumcree standoff is a dispute over yearly parades in the town of Portadown, Northern Ireland. The town is mainly Protestant and hosts numerous Protestant/loyalist marches each summer, but has a significant Catholic mi ...

over an

Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...

parade in

Portadown Portadown () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population of a ...

. It has come under strong criticism from the Order. The Grand Lodge of the Order has a policy of non-engagement with the Commission, although some private and district lodges, particularly those with contentious parades, have agreed to talk to it.

Commissioners

As of April 2021, the Commissioners are: *

Graham Forbes Graham John Thomson Forbes, CBE is a priest of the Scottish Episcopal Church. He was Provost of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh from 1990 until June 2017. He was born on 10 June 1951 and educated at George Heriot's School, Edinburgh and the U ...

(Chair) *Joelle Black BL *Derek Wilson *Marian Cree *Eimear McAllister *Billy Gamble

References

External links

* {{Authority control Quasi-judicial bodies Orange Order The Troubles (Northern Ireland) Northern Ireland peace process 1998 establishments in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Office Non-departmental public bodies of the United Kingdom government Organizations established in 1998 Freedom of assembly

Commissioners

See also

References

External links