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Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
  Press Statements

Orange Order Puts Parading Proposals To
Northern Ireland Affairs Committee

31 March 2004

The Orange Order today urged the Government to set up a Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Commission or "Freedom PAC" with powers to control both public parades and any associated protests by local residents.

Giving evidence in London to the Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on the Quigley Report into parading legislation in the Province, the Orange Order delegation led by Grand Master Robert Saulters described the Freedom Pac proposal as "robust, fair, simple and open".

The Committee was told that the Order opposed current parading legislation because the Parades Commission's powers only applied to parade organisers and not to anti-parade protest groups. This allowed so-called residents groups influenced by or under the direct control of terrorist organisations to use the threat of violence to get the Parades Commission to ban or restrict peaceful parades.

The Order also rejected Sir George Quigley's proposed reforms which it described as burdensome, time consuming, expensive and potentially illegitimate since they would further restrict the right to freedom of peaceful assembly enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights.

Under the Order's "Freedom PAC" proposals, MPs were told, one body would be responsible for both parades and anti-parade protests. It would be compulsory for organisers on both sides to notify the new Commission of any public assembly.

The Commission would first satisfy itself that there was a peaceful intention to the proposed parade or protest and that the organisers were entirely committed to democratic principles. Once the peaceful intent of the parade or protest had been established, Freedom PAC would convene a meeting between the police, parade and counter-protest groups entirely committed to democratic principles. Those attending the meeting would have right to ask questions of others present with full disclosure of all information submitted.

Following the meeting Freedom PAC would issue two separate determinations on the parade and counter-protest and impose any restrictions it thought necessary. The Commission's determinations would be open to review by the Secretary of State in case of emergency for the protection of public safety and both parade and protest organisers would have the right to challenge Freedom PAC's decisions in the courts.


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