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LAST UPDATE | 8 Nov 2021
UNIONIST SUPPORT FOR peace process agreements in Northern Ireland is “falling away” due to the Brexit protocol, Jeffrey Donaldson has warned.
The DUP leader offered the assessment after the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) said it could no longer support the 1998 Good Friday agreement because in its opinion the Irish Sea border had undermined its central plank – the principle of consent.
Donaldson also condemned recent outbreaks of violence in certain loyalist communities, including the hijacking and burning of two buses – incidents that have been linked to protests against the protocol.
The PUP, which is politically aligned to the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force, said there was no basis for unionists to retain support for the peace deal that established the power-sharing institutions at Stormont.
Reacting to the move, Donaldson said: “The PUP are very clear – they’re not wanting people to go back to violence and they have condemned violence on our streets.
“But it is a matter of concern that support for the agreements and political institutions is falling away, and not least within unionism itself.
“I’ve been warning about this now and warning that this is one of the consequences of the protocol, because the protocol upsets the very delicate constitutional balance that is at the heart of the agreement, it undermines our relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom in a way that is unacceptable to unionists.
“Let’s not lose sight of the fact there isn’t a single unionist elected representative that supports this protocol.
“So, in a way, I understand where the PUP are coming from. But I want to get to a place where we put this right, where we get the political stability that we need.”
Donaldson also accused Dublin and Brussels of engaging in “megaphone diplomacy” over the potential of a trade war with the UK.
He said comments from the Irish Government and the EU around the prospect of retaliatory action if the UK suspends the protocol – potentially in the form of terminating the Trade and Cooperation Agreement – were causing “harm and damage”, and ratcheting up tensions.
He branded “disgraceful” a comment attributed to an unnamed EU diplomat quoted in the Daily Telegraph who said the EU was “ready for peace but prepared for war”.
The phrase has particular connotations in Northern Ireland as it was a slogan used by loyalist paramilitaries during the peace process to sum up their attitude to the political agreements. A well-known mural on a loyalist estate in north Belfast still bears the message.
The Ulster Unionist Party has also condemned the unattributed remark and UUP MLA Mike Nesbitt asked Stormont deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill to join that condemnation during Assembly question time today.
“Can I say that anybody who holds public office needs to be very careful in terms of the language which they use,” the Sinn Fein vice president replied.
“I note the comment that the member’s referring to, it’s not attributed to anybody so I don’t know where it’s coming from, but language of that nature isn’t appropriate or in any shape or form.”
O’Neill accused the DUP of feeding a narrative that has inflamed and encouraged recent violence on the streets of Northern Ireland.
She pointed to the party’s boycott of north-south political meetings and its threat to pull down Stormont in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The Sinn Fein vice president made the claims during Assembly question time as she commented on recent violent attacks in the region, the latest of which saw a bus hijacked and burned out on the loyalist Rathcoole estate on Sunday night.
Donaldson expressed doubt the EU would risk the trade deal, given its reliance on UK consumers.
“The EU does a lot of trade with the United Kingdom,” he said.
“Germany, the biggest trading nation in the EU, the United Kingdom is its biggest market in Europe, it’s the second biggest market for Germany in the whole world.
“Does anyone seriously believe that the Germans want to open a trade war with the United Kingdom? That’s not the answer here.
“The answer is to sit around the table and agree a solution. If the EU can’t do that, if the EU prefers instead to choose rhetoric, to choose a trade war over the need to protect the political process in Northern Ireland, then I’m sad about that.
“But it means the UK Government then must take decisive action to restore Northern Ireland’s place within the UK internal market and respect what the Belfast Agreement says – that Northern Ireland remains an integral part of the United Kingdom, unless the people of Northern Ireland decide otherwise.”
Take the repeat offenders out of the system.
Three strikes and you’re out!
And deny free legal aid in these cases too.
The whole legal system is broken. Solicitors going to court and being granted 3-4 adjournments for the simplest of road traffic offences is a disgrace. Legal aid needs to be completely overhauled and judges still living in the distant past need to be retired immediately.
I was in court before for drunk and disorderly and it was put back three times! In the end I got €100 fine but how much must that have cost the state?
Little Jim, How exactly does that help with the mass of Civil cases that the Chief Justice is stating are causing the backlog?
Joe you would be very surprised at the amount of court time taken up by repeat offenders.
Normal people hardly ever wind up in court.
This is a load of spin.
To try and throw out the thousands of plenary summons cases against corrupt banks and a corrupt government.
“Ohh no, get rid of that case against the €64 billion criminal bank bailout, we have people’s homes to repossess”
“Justice system”?????
More like a branch of a corrupt criminal bank!!!
Disgusting
Disgusting!!!!
?
That comment makes no sense.
Oh if only little Jim. Unfortunately we live in a state where having 50+ convictions is the norm for persistent offenders
I’ll explain Stephen.
As explained in the above article.
The not fit for purpose, lame, prejudiced, Irish courts system reckon that they are “overwhelmed” by high levels of activity.
Currently thousands of Irish people (who wish to avoid using the services of expensive, toothless, bought out solicitors and barristers)
have taken plenary cases (where they represent themselves) against our corrupt banks and our corrupt government.
The judges hate these plenary cases, because in these cases they are challenged by real people, using real Irish law,instead of the usual charade of expensive bought out solicitors and barristers doing back-room deals amongst themselves.
The judges want these plenary cases thrown out of the courts fast, so that they can go back their little “legal” pantomimes with their bought out overpaid, solicitors and barrister performers.
It is very possible that this is the reason for all this sudden “Ohh we’re overwhelmed” BS.
I hope this explains my point Stephen.
Its simple – change the system. It is currently a four term system with generous breaks lncluding supreme courts never sitting in July or August. More sittings = decrease in waiting times.
Also dont come back with the argument that judges need this time to read up…they are paid well enough to make time for this and we all have to continously improve at work and are not given prolonged holidays to do so
A four year backlog would still take another 24 years of additional opening in July and August to clear… That’s presuming new cases aren’t added to the list…
I don’t think that’s then problem…
The courts system is unbelievably outdated and inefficient. For example, thieves are often prosecuted for multiple robberies in the same trial instead of quickly as crimes are committed. When the criminal eventually comes to court he gets concurrent sentences which means he only does time for the worst offence – all the others are effectively free. His incentive therefore is to commit as many robberies as possible and delay the trial as much as possible – with excuses or by not showing up in court. That’s the system the Minister and the judges preside over. It doesn’t work, it’s not impossible to fix, and it’s their fault for allowing it to continue. Here’s a few suggestions: (1) sentences should not be concurrent so sentences for 20 robberies at say 12 months in jail each should mean 20 years subject to parole – not 12 months subject to parole as it does at the moment and (2) previous convictions should be admitted in evidence because the fact some committed 10 previous crimes does make it less likely that he is the unfortunate victim of a miscarriage of justice.
We already don’t have anywhere near enough capacity for the prisoners we’re holding – prisoner number are up about a third in ten years – increasing numbers further would cost a huge amount of money.
And there in lies another problem
“……..and that’s why we, as Judges, don’t deserve pay cuts…..” a preemptive stroke sorry strike methinks.
Actually they’ve been saying this for a while now and have just been ignored.
At the moment there are over 70 appeals with priority before the supreme court – as shatter said at the conference “a backlog of a backlog”.
This is a real problem.
Is this your website Stephen?
http://www.sfsolicitors.ie/
No, and as far as I know, no relation.
Are you in the legal profession Stephen?
I am indeed, I am a barrister.
What do you reckon of the half a million family members trapped in mortgage distress Stephen?
Do you reckon that Kenny and Co. are going to stand up for the corrupt/criminal banks and throw these people out of their homes, now that the Dunne loophole is going to be closed?
Do you reckon they should have done an Iceland on it and written down these mortgages to their true value and let the banks fail?
I know New beginnings are doing there thing however
what role are the majority Barristers like you, going to play in this Travesty?
The Chief Justice was addressing the issue of civil cases, not criminal cases.
Say you take a chance, win your case in the High Court and feel that you are vindicated. The insurance company, financial institution, employer, public body against whom you have won will just lob in an appeal to the Supreme Court and that will delay the matter by another 5 years or so.
The current system favours the large and well resourced body or institution.
And only wealthy individuals like Denis O’ Brien can afford to take defamnation actions.
The courts are a scam. For a divorce this is my 23rd trip to court and not all settled .
One of the biggest scams in the country..
Couldn’t agree more…
Also discussed at the conference was a seperate set of specialised family law courts.
Very reassuring Stephen.
System is wrought with Bureaucracy.
Legal teams the size of hurling teams.
All they are short of doing is engaging a barrister for providing full stops on a document..
Another scam occupation like our politications.
first of all all SOLICITORS are agents of the court with SC and barristers . this is a one party arrangement in a secrete society judging self and said to be independant. the troika in giving the money made it a requirment to appoint a ” LEGAL OMBUDSMAN ” but where is that body. Then we have the law society investigating it self another wrong in common law, for it states that no body or perso shall be a judge unto self in justice.I am aware of the court lists and settings,in this area the handing out to friends of jobs for the lads is in fact so wrong as to be criminal.I could go on and on telling the public of this cartel and its unbelivable cover ups AND POWER BEYOND ITS DUTY UNDER COMMON LAW AND TRUTH harryprice2@live.ie
all in favour say nay
Levels of activity overwhelming and unsustainable ,are we talking about the levels of criminal activity or are we goin to keep brushing it under the carpet, Michelle how about an article on this its not as it does not exist the courts are rampant with criminal activity ,i approached Lucinda cumin on a case about corruption and she could not get away from us fast enough .
There must be more judges like disgraced Justice Perrin.
Disgraced judge Perrin now guilty of false accounting –
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/disgraced-judge-perrin-now-guilty-of-false-accounting-
Heather Perrin (61) is currently serving a two-and-a-half year sentence for attempting to deceive an elderly friend out of half of his estate and to include her children as major beneficiaries while he was a client of her solicitors’ firm.
She became the first member of the judiciary in the history of the State to be convicted of a serious crime and resigned as a judge shortly before she was sentenced.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday, she pleaded guilty to falsifying an account of the estate of the late Gary Doyle with the intention of making a gain between May 2004 and February 2009.
Perrin was brought to court from prison.
- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/disgraced-judge-perrin-now-guilty-of-false-accounting-29089240.html#sthash.LILJFSyI.dpuf
Well said Anthony.
She should have got a longer sentence for robbing this pensioner.
And she was a judge?
God only knows what solicitors and barristers get up to behind closed doors??
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