09/02/2010

Justice Minister And Parading Talks Open

Northern political leaders will meet later this morning to discuss nominations for the position of Justice Minister.

Nominations for the post officially opened yesterday, however a scheduled meeting between party leaders was postponed to allow the province's MPs to participate in a Commons discussion.

So far only the SDLP has put forward a name for the post. The nationalist party nominated Alban Maginness, despite having earlier mooted Margaret Ritchie for the justice role.

Ms Ritchie, the Executive's Social Development Minister, was elected SDLP leader at the weekend.

The party's bid is not thought to be strong. The eventual minister will have to attain cross-community support. Alliance, the Assembly's only non-designated party, has refused to nominate an MLA for the job.

The Liberal Democrat-aligned party is widely tipped to eventual occupy the office of justice minister. All Stormont's MLAs are eligible for nomination.

Meanwhile, six Assembly members - three from the DUP and three from Sinn Fein - will initiate parading talks today.

Unionists Jeffrey Donaldson, Stephen Moutray and Nelson McCausland will meet with republicans Gerry Kelly, Michelle Gildernew and John O'Dowd, as outlined in the Hillsborough Castle Agreement.

The group has until 23 February to formulate a resolution to outstanding issues, which are capable of achieving cross-community backing.

DUP First Minister Peter Robinson and SF Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have said they will support any outcome.

It is hoped the process will result in a passable Bill.

According to reports today, the DUP has a so-called 'clever device', which the party says it will utilise to drive parading discussions.

Peter Robinson is reportedly poised to collapse the Stormont government if Sinn Fein fails to back the winding down of the Parades Commission.

It is believed this 'clever device' persuaded 14 DUP Assembly group dissenters to support the eventual justice deal last week.

(PR/BMcC)

Related Irish News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

05 February 2010
DUP Backs Justice Deal
Democratic Unionist Assembly members have given their unanimous support to a deal that will see policing and justice powers devolved to the North's power-sharing government. The party's 35 MLAs backed the blueprint document following a round of late night talks at Stormont last night.
11 September 2012
Tanaiste Says Property Tax 'Will Be Affordable'
Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore has said today that the looming property tax will be "affordable" for families. It came after Finance Minister Michael Noonan rejected a recommendation from the IMF to set the property tax at 0.5pc of the market value of a house.
29 November 2019
New National LGBTQ+ Inclusion Strategy Launched
A new National Inclusion Strategy for Ireland's LGBTQ+ communities has been launched by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan, and the Minister of State with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton.
09 November 2011
'Justice' Sought In Minister's Appointment
There's a major political row brewing over the way the Department of Justice Minister is to be appointed in the future. Already, the sitting Justice Minister, Alliance Leader David Ford (pictured) has offered to resign next year so what he has called "the current compromise" can continue.
11 August 2011
Alliance HQ Faces Strip-Search Protestors
Republicans have this morning staged a protest in support of prisoners at the Alliance Party headquarters in south Belfast.