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New Justice Minister on way in deal between SF and DUP
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
First Minister Peter Robinson (right) and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at a press conference in Stormont Castle
enlargeNorthern Ireland could have its first Justice Minister in less than a year under a detailed agreement reached between the DUP and Sinn Fein.
A series of steps leading to the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster was outlined yesterday following months of talks and tightrope politics.
Senior Sinn Fein figures had threatened the party could walk away from the Assembly, while the DUP repeatedly warned it feared republicans wanted to dismantle the devolved structures.
But yesterday both parties agreed that — if all goes well — with legislation proceeding through the Assembly in the run-up to next Spring, a Justice Minister could be appointed “within months”, which some interpreted as meaning ‘up to two years’.
A senior DUP figure said, however: “Get your head out of years, we are talking in months.”
But the Minister will not come from either of the two main parties, at least until May 2012 and perhaps not even then.
He will, however, follow Northern Ireland’s first Attorney General, likely to be senior QC John Larkin, a professor of criminology who is a Catholic born in west Belfast and has represented the DUP in several court hearings.
First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness revealed yesterday they are “minded to invite” Mr Larkin to take up the position.
Under the agreement the Assembly Executive and Review Committee, which is dealing with the detail of the transfer of responsibility, would ideally complete their work by January 9 next year, including how the implementation will be financed and the ways in which the new Department of Justice will function.
The Justice Minister will also be elected in the Assembly by a cross-community vote, requiring a majority of both designated nationalists and unionists. But a so-called ‘sunset clause’ has also been included in the deal, involving a review to put a more permanent system into place by the May 2012 deadline.
A Judicial Appointments Commission is to be established to ensure the political parties have no role in the selection of judges and other legal officials.
In a letter to the committee, which the joint First Ministers met yesterday, they said they believed the proposals represent a resolution of many of the most difficult issues in relation to how the transfer will be handled.
At a brief statement inside Stormont Castle, Mr Robinson said: “The agreement we have reached represents a very satisfactory resolution of the most difficult issues relating to the modalities of transferring power and meets all of the publicly expressed concerns.
“We believe these arrangements are capable of gaining the confidence of the community and we look to the prime minister to make good his commitment of helping to resolve the financial arrangements relating to the devolution of these powers.”
Mr McGuinness said “significant progress” had been made and added: “We are both agreed that policing and justice functions should be devolved, every leading politician in this community is committed to this outcome.”
The DUP described the deal as a reasonable and robust compromise which had dealt with all the issues raised as matters of public concern.
Sinn Fein said it had demonstrated the political institutions can only operate on the basis of equality and partnership.
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re, Annbella's comment: I agree the person in Sanctuary Lakes is the lady for the job but unfortunatly she is campaigning for Mayoress at the moment.
Posted by Isame | 20.11.08, 00:42 GMT
Thos,
What about policing and justice in Northern Ireland are you unhappy about, do you have any suggestions about improvements that could be made?
Posted by Richard D. Priest, Jr. | 19.11.08, 15:43 GMT
I was struck by just how much older looking Peter Robinson has got since stepping up in this post.
It was always much easier sitting on the sidelines shouting no no no at every opportunity but it is a different matter when you have the british and irish governments applying pressure on you via thier purse strings on one side, the public and voters applying it on the other about real issues such as education and the economy and finally the usa leveraging as wel
He gets paid extremely well I know but I did think it was startling how he seems to have aged already
Posted by Robert | 19.11.08, 11:21 GMT
At last. At least something is happening. Marty needed this sorted out so the wife didn`t give a him a kick up the rear end for all this politics stuff interfering with the wedding anniversary tomorrow. You do have to wonder though, what has changed so dramatically that the meetings can go ahead. Not a whole lot really.
Posted by Cliff | 19.11.08, 09:47 GMT
It is all too late the very person who could return Stormont back to the people is now living in Sanctuary Lakes.
Posted by Annabella | 19.11.08, 09:41 GMT
Treat it like any other part of UK.
Are 3 mil folk in the Manchester area looking for a Parliament ?? Such a waste , a bunch of stepped up would be statesmen. Overpaid Councillors in a province
Posted by B | 19.11.08, 08:48 GMT
Mr Priest Jn, your vision of NI is just as bizarre as the currrent political infra-structure with terrorists and their mouthpieces in government. The reality is that NI is now seen as a magnet for all unrepentant terrorists with ETA seeking to place its operatives here to start a new life in republican areas. The whole concept of policing and justice in NI is a farce and the addition of a minister to preside over this nonsence will not add one jot to any semblance of order or public safety.
Posted by Thos | 19.11.08, 08:35 GMT
I'm glad the two came to an agreement. We often hear about McGuinness's past. What about Pete's?
From Wikipedia:
Clontibret
On 7 August 1986, in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement, Robinson led a group of 500 loyalists into the town of Clontibret in County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. The loyalists entered the Garda station in the town and physically assaulted two police officers, before holding a quasi-military parade in the town square. Robinson was later arrested. He pleaded guilty to unlawful assembly and was fined IR£17500 in a Drogheda court to escape a prison sentence. As a result, Robinson briefly resigned from the DUP deputy leadership. In a subsequent court appearance in Dundalk he again led a large loyalist mob into the town. At his trial the judge described him as "a senior extremist politician." The event earned him the nickname "Peter the Punt" for a while.
Posted by Punter the Pete | 19.11.08, 03:36 GMT
Northern Ireland could be developed into a principality with a non democratic autocracy by replacing the MLAs with unelected District Ministers. And developing parliment building at Stormont into a royal administrative palace for the Prince Regent, First Minister, Deputy First Minister, District Ministers, Royal Court and Principality Citizens. And the castle used for a royal residence.
Legislation could be by court decree and public referendum. With most legislation being handled by District Ministers and referendum and decree used primarily for administrative matters.
Posted by Richard D. Priest, Jr. | 19.11.08, 02:17 GMT