As Pete has noted The Assembly and Executive Review Committee have failed to reach an agreement on the devolution of policing and justice powers: no surprise there.
The DUP claim to have negotiated a “triple lock” and the ability to veto devolution of policing and justice. Dodds has also stated that his party will not be “bullied” into accepting P+J devolution.
This raises two interesting points: Firstly, if as the DUP tell us, one of their great achievements has been to get SF to support the police; why then are they unfit to exercise policing and justice powers? Their answer is because of continued IRA activity. However, does that not imply that they should not be in government at all?
Of course most unionists will not be keen on SF having involvement in policing and justice powers but the DUP’s position here does seem rather illogical nay hypocritical.
The second point is made by Jim Allister who whilst celebrating the effect the TUV have had; has pointed out that neither of the unionist parties is trying to stop Martin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister having “powers to recommend who should be Lord Chief Justice, Lord Justices of Appeal, the Attorney General and also the power of involvement in removal of Judges.”
Since most also feel that policing and justice will indeed be devolved at a later date, is this something which the DUP and UUP should be attempting to address now?
This author has not written a biography and will not be writing one.
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