As I pointed out in comment 23 here, the Chuckle Brothers can’t appoint four Victims Commissioners, because the legislation is for a single appointment. Unusually, it is the Newsletter that (as far as I have seen) are the only mainstream media outlet that have picked up on this matter (no link, pg 8):
“A change in the law and a vote in the Assembly will be required to fully anoint the appointees and that will take months”
Months may well be an understatement. Isn’t really a minor amendment to the Victims and Survivors (Northern Ireland) Order. What this requires is a change from a Commissioner to a Commission, and that will change the nature of the project envisaged by the legislation. If the First and Deputy First Minister couldn’t agree on a single name, it doesn’t leave great confidence that they can find an agreeable path leading to a new legislative framework. Not least amongst the problems will be the definition of who is and who is not a victim, an issue (debated to an extent here) on which the Chuckle Brothers are unlikley to agree.
I used to write and get paid, now I read and don’t.
Former UUP staffer, currently living in London. @mjshilliday
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