APPENDIX 5
Memorandum submitted by the Committee
on the Administration of Justice
Let me firstly congratulate you on your speech
to Parliament in the debate on the Northen Ireland Affairs Committee
report on fair employment. We also appreciated the reference you
made to CAJ's interest in the issue, which we took as a signal
of your positive attitude to the importance of continuing vigilance
by those inside and outside Parliament. Certainly for our part
we will continue to monitor with interest the issue of fair employment,
and we hope that we can turn to you for assistance as and when
appropriate? In that connection, my colleague Maggie Beirne has
already contacted the Committee Clerk to indicate that we would
be keen to receive the written responses promised by the Minister
in the course of the debate.
The main purpose of this letter, however, is
in response to the recent announcement of the Committee's decision
to inquire into the work of the Parades Commission. We learnt
of the review in that same phone call with the Clerk, andin
the event that it may be of use to youwe have attached
by way of appendix a list of some of the key organisations operating
in this field. Most of them will presumably have received your
press release, and may indeed have already been in touch, but
there may be some who are unaware of your work and yet be very
interested in contributing.
The Committee on the Administration of Justice
isas you will know from our testimony on policing to the
Committeevery involved in questions of public order policing,
and the parades issue. I attach a range of the publications and
submissions we have issued on the topic and I would draw your
particular attention to the submission we made most recently to
the NIO review of the marching issue. Suffice it to say, that
we found the terms of reference of that review unnecessarily constraining,
which may explain to some extent the problems its conclusions
have run into since. While of course the issues of mediation which
the NIO concentrated on should not be neglected, we would strongly
urge the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee to not restrict itself
to similarly narrow terms of reference.
Will the Committee be appointing an academic
expert adviser as they have done on previous studies and, if so,
would you welcome suggestions for people to approach?
If we can be of any further assistance to the
Committee in its work, I am sure that you will inform us accordingly.
28 March 2000
CAJ PUBLICATIONS/SUBMISSIONS
OF RELEVANCE
TO THE
NORTHERN IRELAND
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
"INQUIRY INTO
THE PARADES
COMMISSION"
CAJ commentary to the Progress Review of the
work of the Parades Commission (November 1999)
Commentary on the Patten report (November 1999)
Public Order Policing, 1998
CAJ submission to Patten (August 1998)
Plastic Bullets briefing paper (June 1998)
Response to Guidelines, Code of Practice and
Procedural Rules issued by Parades Commission (February 1998)
Human Rights on Duty (December 1997)includes
international experiences on the issue of public order policing
and decision making
Comments on Public Processions (Northern Ireland)
Bill, November 1997
Policing the Police, November 1997. Report and
video
Commentary on 1996 Primary Inspection report
by HMIC (March 1997)
The Misrule of Law, October 1996
Submission to the North review into parades
and marches (October 1996)
INITIAL LIST
OF ORGANISATIONS
LIKELY TO
BE INTERESTED
IN THE
INQUIRY OF
THE NORTHERN
IRELAND AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE ON
THE PARADES
COMMISSION
CAJ assumes that most of the following groups
and individuals have been informed of the Committee's review,
but this may be a useful starting point to ensure that none of
the really active groups in the field have been inadvertently
overlooked:
1. MARCHING GROUPS
The Orange Order, the Royal Black Institution,
the Apprentice Boys of Derry, the Ancient Order of Hibernians,
and the Irish National Foresters all will have an interest. However,
in some cases, it might be advisable to contact local affiliates
and members directly to ensure the most comprehensive picture
possible.
2. RESIDENTS
GROUPS
There are of course a wide range of residents
groups, some of them well established, others much less so. The
Parades Commission would presumably have one of the most extensive
lists of local groups available.
3. OFFICIAL BODIES
This would obviously include the RUC, the Police
Authority, the Independent Commission for Police Complaints, and
the Parades Commission. It is unclear to us to what extent the
Authorised Officers are to be considered synonymous with the Commission
itself, but it would seem valuable to canvass the views of past
and current members of the Commission, past and current staff
members of the Commission, and the Authorised Officers, since
all of these people are likely to have different experiences worth
reflecting upon.
4. POLITICAL
PARTIES
Most political parties will have a perspective
to bring to bear on this issue and, as local councillors and political
representatives of the individuals involved, would again have
interesting insights to bring to bear.
5. ACADEMICS/INDEPENDENT
MONITORS
Some key anthropological and social science
study has been undertaken into the issue by academics such as
Neil Jarman and Dominic Bryan. INCORE at the University of Ulster
at Magee College have organised a series of interesting conferences
and seminars into the theme. Tom Hadden and Anne Donnelly have
written in the area and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
was drawn directly into the issue when consulted about the application
of the Human Rights Act. Groups like CAJ, Pat Finucane Centre,
the Table Campaign, the Meath Peace Group, Drumcree Faith and
Justice Group, Peace and Reconciliation Group in Derry and Mediation
Network all have important insights to bring to bear. Internationally
respected human rights groups such as Amnesty International, Human
Rights Watch and the Lawyers Committee on Human Rights have sent
observers and commented on the situation. On occasion, individual
churchmen and women have played an important role, but details
of such individuals can often only be provided via local contacts
on the ground. Various US politicians and NGOs have met with the
different parties to the dispute and may also have useful contributions
to make to your deliberations.
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