SF ‘must have no say in selection of judges’
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
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The DUP is insisting Sinn Fein give up any say in the appointment of judges in the on-going negotiations over policing and justice, sources have indicated.
And First Minister Peter Robinson is also insisting Sinn Fein ministers pledge not to block any policing legislation at Executive level.
Both matters, according to the DUP, would require primary legislation in the House of Commons, for which time in the Parliamentary schedule would have to be found.
The concessions being demanded on the DUP side come on top of a number of compromises which the DUP argues republicans have already made, including that neither party will take up the Policing and Justice Department and that it should not be a shared ministry.
“We simply cannot have a situation where Martin McGuinness has a veto on the appointment of senior and other judges,” a DUP source said.
“It is not all that long since the IRA were killing judges. And given the way they have prevented the Executive meeting we cannot allow Sinn Fein to block legislation on a whim.”
Mr Robinson is said to have three meetings last week with Mr McGuinness and Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams is also said to have been involved.
Mr Adams was yesterday, however, holding his first face-to-face meeting with the DUP’s Gregory Campbell since he took over from Edwin Poots as Culture and Sports Minister, to discuss the Irish language legislation which is another key issue in the on-going talks.
While Mr Poots rejected the need for legislation, Mr Adams said he still hoped for an Act which could promote and protect the rights and entitlements of Irish speakers as citizens.
“We want to hear from the minister what his views are and what steps or strategy he envisages in this respect,” Mr Adams said.
Meanwhile, the UUP has signalled it intends to examine ways in which ministers can be held to account by the Assembly — even though the party declined to support an SDLP initiative during the summer for the early return of the Assembly.
“The DUP are duffers, Sinn Fein are huffers and they are making us all look like bluffers,” former UU chief whip David McNarry told the BBC Politics Show.
The Strangford MLA argued the Assembly “has supremacy” and there were ways and means of “bringing ministers to heel”.
Mr McNarry accepted all four parties involved in the Executive, which has now failed to meet for four months, had to accept blame.
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24 Comments
After the DUP scare-mongered their way into Stormont ( by accusing the UUP of selling the majority(of NI) down the river), they now have to face their responsibility of making decisions that their new positions in government entitle them to.
Welcome to the real world ! Mr Robinson and co. Are we the people of Northern Ireland to sit in limbo?, when bread and butter issues, eg. the credit crunch, electric costs, and schools are not addressed.However, it takes two to tango, and Sinn Fein needs to come of their high-horse and stop huffing, and get back into Stormont and discuss these issues in the proper forum. Did they honestly believe that sensitive issues, like the appointment of Judges etc. was going to be any easier dealing with the DUP? wake up! and get on with running our wee country, that you've ALL been elected to do
Posted by Beanbag | 23.10.08, 03:37 GMT
Earl, "The Taliban are not an elected party and have no say in the running of their country"
Remember how the IRA had no say in how Northern Ireland was run and now its political wing sits in Stormont?
Who's to say that given time, the Taliban won't develop a politcal wing, find itself "power-sharing", demanding this that and the other, obtaining the power to veto, finding itself in a position of selecting judicial power. Sound far-fetched? Right now the Taliban are still at the 'bombs and bullets' stage, which (we're led to believe) the IRA have left behind.
Posted by mickey | 22.10.08, 09:39 GMT
Well said Paul !!!
Posted by Dan | 22.10.08, 09:06 GMT
To all who continue to parse the past,
If NI is truly a democracy, then ALL parties should have equal access to decisions based on duly elected officials. If we kept to the archaic logic of some, no one who was ever on the losing side of a war should be able to decide their future. Come on now!!! The war is over and the past is done let's move forward toward a shared future and stop limiting the next generation!
Posted by Jim | 22.10.08, 06:33 GMT
When the DUP brought Mr McGuinness and Sinn Fein into government,what did they think they were going to do. Sit like lambs,while they the DUP,would run the show. Come off it Mr Robinson,you went in to do business,But you forgot all the promises you made, over the years. Who gave the DUP the vote, Your trapped Mr Robinson, by your own history.
Posted by UNIONCRUISER | 21.10.08, 21:51 GMT
"However, being from N.I. originally, I do follow what is transpiring there and if I am to understand that other parties have the right to select judges, then why isn't Sinn Fein allowed to do so too?"
Earl,
No party in NI presently has the right to select judges. If you believe in the principle of an independent judiciary, free of political interference, then no party in NI should have the right to select judges,
"I had believed from what has happened in the past 5 or 10 years, that democracy had finally returned to N.I.. Now I am not too sure."
We have a joke of democrcay with two sectarian parties in charge attempting to out-bigot each other. Westminster is not perfect, but I'd much rather be governed by a secular English/Scottish/Welsh PM than the pack of dinosaurs presently roaming up in Stormont
Posted by Paul | 21.10.08, 19:40 GMT
There will never be agreement on this issue between the DUP and Sinn Fein.
But the Irish and & English governments can & will agree.
So Stormont is now finished. Prepare for both governments to force re-unifacation. Why? because neither government can afford to pay for the dole that is the north of Ireland.
Also, the newly Democratic government in the USA will also force this because they will want to show that there is a path from terrorism to government just as Sinn Fein has demonstrated over the last twenty or so years. This behavior will be rewarded to show all terrorists across the world another way.
Posted by ryan | 21.10.08, 19:08 GMT
Unionists have to get into the 21st century, we are not in the 16th.
Forget the past, there is no way it can be changed.
Left Belfast in 1997 & seems things have not changed in the 61 years.
Are you ever going to live in peace.
Posted by No Sinn Fein votes | 21.10.08, 19:06 GMT
United, cleveland: Keep you warmongering to your side of the Atlantic, nobody here is interested.
Posted by Steve | 21.10.08, 16:57 GMT
Looks to me the UNIONISTS are inviting the nationalist peoples back on the streets again to fight for their entitlement/ civil rights "AGAIN"
Posted by united, cleveland | 21.10.08, 16:04 GMT
Gary...Without starting a political schemozzle.
And if you can answer? Are Sinn Fein entiled to this choice? If they are. Then there is no argument to the matter. If not. Then the point is purely academic.
From the get go, and I reiterate. I asked if someone could explain the process or this dilemma. So far no one has.
Earl. Canada.
Posted by Earl | 21.10.08, 15:23 GMT
yea but remeber Gary, the elected "terrorists" were fighting a war for the right to vote, work etc
They are now an eleceted party by the people of the north of ireland, and as earl said, they do have status...
Posted by paul | 21.10.08, 15:08 GMT
Earl
it might have something to do with the fact that SF/IRA have so many convicted terrorists and murderers in their ranks.
No other sensible right thinking country would allow such people have any control over the police or justice of the land
Posted by Gary | 21.10.08, 14:49 GMT
Mickey.... The Taliban are not an elected party and have no say in the running of their country, Afghanistan. Sinn Fein, regardless of what others say or think are elected and do have status. If the other parties have that right, why is Sinn Fein being denied the same right?
And why would you monitor only one?
Earl. Canada.
Posted by Earl | 21.10.08, 14:49 GMT
wouldnt you know, First Minister Peter Robinson wants to bring n.ireland back into the 60's where the nationalists didnt have a say in what happen in n.ireland.. grow up, u's cant even decide on a football staium...
Posted by paul | 21.10.08, 14:25 GMT
Earl, "then why isn't Sinn Fein allowed to do so too".
It would be like putting the Taliban in charge of NATO.
But I say let SF in and have them heavily monitored "Big Brother" style.
Posted by mickey | 21.10.08, 14:16 GMT
Please explain....
As I do not reside in Norther Ireland, I am not by any means a supporter of any political party in the Province. However, being from N.I. originally, I do follow what is transpiring there and if I am to understand that other parties have the right to select judges, then why isn't Sinn Fein allowed to do so too? I had believed from what has happened in the past 5 or 10 years, that democracy had finally returned to N.I.. Now I am not too sure.
How can one party have more rights than the other, if what is in place is a equal Executive?
Befuddled in Canada.
Posted by Earl | 21.10.08, 13:36 GMT
Mister Campbell is correct. SF should have no say in selecting judges. It should be left in the capable hands of Unionists, loyalists and non-nationalists. We all know how fair the courts have been to nationalists and Catholics in the past…
Posted by no longer fooled republican | 21.10.08, 12:10 GMT
Of course they should be allowed to select judges, they are British ministers after all
Posted by Dave | 21.10.08, 11:43 GMT
The whole point of a power sharing assembly is to SHARE POWER.!!
The DUP are true to form. They believe in equality, as long as they are more equal than others.
Posted by Jim Lynch | 21.10.08, 11:35 GMT
24 Comments