One source
Some detail on policing and justice proposals (single source):
Justice minister by cross-community vote with a sunset clause May 2012 (by my reckoning this potentially covers the present and next term of the assembly). It will then be part of the general review of all the assembly’s systems (which includes D’hondt). Extract from letter below.
The Judicial Appointments Commission will appoint and remove judges (not OFM/DFM)
A process paper on the legislation needed at Westminster and the Assembly but no time scale (with references to public consultation and securing public confidence).
Sunset clause:
“The following arrangements would be subject to a sunset clause which would bring them to an end not later than May 2012. Following a period of operation they would be reviewed in light of the experience. Permanent arrangements would then be put in place by 2012. There would be no fall-back arrangements in place and there would therefore be a necessity for the parties to agree a way forward by this time.”
CONFIRMED The Executive is to meet on Thursday and weekly after that to clear the backlog. UPDATE Further confirmation of the details here, the process will involve the appointment of an Attorney General for Northern Ireland, with the likely candidate John Larkin QC.
autocue,
Why does it contain the line “We would be minded that John Larkin QC be invited to become Attorney General” then?
This thread is the most pathetic,purile,infantile load of nonsense i’ve ever come across.We won,no we won,oh no you didn’t oh yes we did.Fuck sake grow up you muppets!
Half Pint
Care to address the point re DPPs?
You know as well as I do that your oul boy was going around the country telling people that Martin McGuinness was going to be responsible for appointing high court judges. It is clearly false to claim that.
HP
“Why does it contain the line “We would be minded that John Larkin QC be invited to become Attorney General” then?”
I would suspect its because the appointment hasn’t been made yet – and because they can hardly go ahead to make the appointment given there isn’t any timetable in place as to when he might be expected to take up the post.
The we won, no we won attitude is going to become extremely important in the next few days, once journalists weigh up who gave most and got what. It’ll be important too, for the party faithful. Theres no doubt, immature or not, there will be a day of reckoning over this, and with the public for holding up matters for nearly four months. Especially after the banking crisis, and now the economic crisis, which they can now turn their attention to. Perhaps on thursday providing it doesn’t interfere with bernie mcguinness’ wedding anniversary celebrations, in which case the country will have to wait.
Tell people to grow up isn’t entirely constructive when we have a load of politicians that are so immature, its they that need to do the growing up.
Letter and paper at the bottom of this press release:
http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news/news-ofmdfm/news-ofmdfm-181108-statement-from-the.htm
It may not be a timetable but it certainly looks like a process to achieve devolution.
http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/policing-and-juctice-process-paper.pdf
Mark
Process yes! Timetable no! That is the key point!
autocue,
Aw sure who cares about anything? Just go along with anything the DUPes tell you. I mean why would anyone think for themselves when Peter Robinson can do it for them?
CC,
“I would suspect its because the appointment hasn’t been made yet”
Yes, they would hardly do so AFTER the appointment was made. The point is, what does it tell you about the role of the First Ministers in this process?
Come to think of it, remember the trouble another DUP minister got into when she was minded to do something?
You don’t get off that easy. Any response to the points put to you? Is it true or false for Jim Allister to assert that McGuinness will have a hand in judicial appointments. That is what he was saying when the TUV launched their poisonous wee leaflet on the issue. Has he been proven wrong? I know blood is thicker than water, but try thinking for yourself Phil.
Ann
The Northern Ireland Executive is not going to solve either the banking nor the economic crises.And come the day of reckoning we’ll just vote the way we’ve always done.Scary stuff indeed.
Theres no doubt, immature or not, there will be a day of reckoning over this, and with the public for holding up matters for nearly four months. Especially after the banking crisis, and now the economic crisis, which they can now turn their attention to.
At least the public will now realise there’s diddly squat the Assembley can do about it. Though as a afficiendo of humour down the ages I will miss local politicos urging the DUP & SF to go back to work to ‘fix the global credit crunch’.
Mark McGregor
“It may not be a timetable but it certainly looks like a process to achieve devolution.”
Well of course – it was hardly going to be a process not to achieve devolution, particularly given both parties have said they want to see it delivered.
Of course, processes can take differing lengths of time to achieve things, and in Northern Ireland they usually don’t work quickly.
For the DUP I’ve assumed its the “get it right, not quick” attitude which was prevailing. The ‘process’ agreed still allows that. They can keep working on it for as long as necessary till everything is in place.
who won – who cares?
Clearly this thread has been taken over by SF and DUP members.
Surely does the devolution of P&J;not add another department to the long list of departments that the fools on the hill can’t run?
Think today was just aimed at keeping those juicy pay cheques and expense claims rolling in.
Nothing to do with actual politics and looking after the people of this small insignificant place.
Get real
autocue,
For the umpteenth time I am not Phil Allister.
“Is it true or false for Jim Allister to assert that McGuinness will have a hand in judicial appointments?”
It is most certainly true. Look at the letter
Half Pint
“It is most certainly true. Look at the letter ”
How is it true? It says the JAC will make appointments etc and that is appointed by the LCJ and Lord Chancellor not McGuinness.
f_d,
If the First Ministers don’t have a role in the appointment of senior judges why have they issued a letter saying they are minded that Larkin be invited to become AG?
Personally I’ll wait till the smoke clears – my only thought is those who are creating the most smoke – on this occasion the DUP may have the most to hide!
Posted by x
You are right it is much too soon to decide if there are winners and losers.
It is much more important to see if this is good for Northern Ireland and Ireland as a whole.
Agreement on one appointment is not what Jim Allister was talking about when he wrote his leaflet on this subject as you very well know.
http://www.jimallister.org/default.asp?blogID=1154
Compare what he said in that document with your incessant whinging about Larkin and indeed your earlier comments in this discussion regarding the JAC – apparently appointed by OFMDFM – shown to be nothing more than a TUV lie.
P&J;will be devolved – before the EU election. Thats all Ive to say – say it aint so all you want. Lets wait and see who is right.
2012 – former IRA POW Gerry Kelly has taken over as Minister of Justice. One of his first actions on taking office was …. hee hee!!
HP
“If the First Ministers don’t have a role in the appointment of senior judges why have they issued a letter saying they are minded that Larkin be invited to become AG?”
AFAIK the AG isn’t a senior judge neither is it an answer to my question. Was your point that it is a senior law official?
As for the AG stuff it is one of the lines I’d personally like more information on.
There was a story carried in the English papers recently that people with criminal convictions will soon be allowed to join the police. It isn’t a big stretch from this to allowing someone with so-called criminal convictions here to become a minister for justice.
“shown to be nothing more than a TUV lie”
Show one thing in that document – just one – that isn’t supported by documentary evidence.
DUP members / supporters should be very cautious about calling opponents liars.
An Attorney General is not a judicial appointment. The AG has absolutely nothing to do with the judiciary.
I would assume his role is similar to the one in the Republic’s namely as “the adviser of the Government in matters of law and legal opinion”.
Not the best source (I admit) but this might shed more light on what the role of the Attorney General is.
Not a judicial appointment by any stretch of the imagination:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attorney_General#United_Kingdom
Allaister agreed to this when he was in the DUP so he cant really make capital out of it
Would I be the only one to suspect that Martin has a firm committed date from Peter as part of a handshake deal?
Some of the TUV drones on here don’t even recognise a victory when they see one. On balance SF is stuffed on their firm demands but given some real concessions.
No firm commitment on dates yet – but there will and should be in all our interests. Progress on some of SFs agenda but not in the way they would want on everything. A sensible compromise…..you can see why Allister is upset.
Now can we please all get on with real life and things that really matter to people here like jobs and health and selling as much as we can to all those Southerners taking advantage of the low pound!!!
PS what’s the betting that we see Catriona sidelined soon? They wont want anything derailing the new cosier atmosphere
“There was a story carried in the English papers recently that people with criminal convictions will soon be allowed to join the police. It isn’t a big stretch from this to allowing someone with so-called criminal convictions here to become a minister for justice. ”
Sure isn’t there a statue of a terrorist who accepted arms from the U.K.’s enemy in front of Stormont?
Is the way this appointment of Attorney General was made, legal?
But at least on this occasion they have not gone through the charade of advertising the post and having to appear to consider, on merit, women, ethnic minorities, disabled people etc .
Also: is the announcement today more a case of putting up a flag to see who salutes before making an appointment?
Another question arises – can a well paid QC financially afford to take on a lesser paid AG job?
Granni,
Once you are filthy rich (check the bank balances of the barristers appearing before the Bloody Sunday Inquiry), you can afford to work for free .
My my, hasn’t half pint got his knickers in a right old twist? Going on his reaction I’d say it’s a clear DUP win and his daddy just got run over in Europe- oops
DUP short term gain long term pain
SF wee stitch in the side but leading the marathon
This is a positive development, such that it is. The main thing that I’m reading into this is that the local parties seem to have sorted this out themselves, rather than the governments getting involved. That’s got to be a good start.
I’m not sure how Sinn Fein supporters can pat themselves on the back for their “victory”. They have now allowed the DUP to step over their red line over the devolution of policing and justice powers. There is no commitment here to a timetable and there is plenty of scope for the DUP to drag things out beyond next April, and probably until after the European elections. Sinn Fein’s negotiators, by accepting this arrangement, have actually legitimized the DUP’s interpretation of the StAA’s requirements concerning the timetable for devolving policing and justice powers.
If Sinn Fein supporters want to dress this climbdown by their party up as a victory, I’m happy to take that and call it a good thing. I’m glad they have seen sense and decided to drop their pointless boycott.