“I will defend to the end the Northern Ireland Office appointments procedure”

According to this PA report, nothing yet on the NIO site, the Secretary of State for Wales and Northern Ireland, Peter Hain, on behalf of the NIO [and presumably tax-payers everywhere? – Ed], is to appeal against the High Court ruling that the procedure used in his appointment of Don MacKay and David Burrows to the Parades Commission was unlawful. Updated below Final update below againFrom the PA report

Mr Hain said today: “I will defend to the end the Northern Ireland Office appointments procedure. It is impartial, subjective objective and follows all the rules.

“That is the reason why I will be announcing shortly that we will be appealing the judgment.”

He said the judgment had upheld all the major issue and practices involved in the appointments.

That would be this High Court judgement

Update The PA report has been edited since I first noted it, to change the quote from the Secretary of State to –

“I will defend to the end the Northern Ireland Office appointments procedure. It is impartial, objective and follows all the rules.”[added emphasis]

…which would be more appropriate in the circumstances.. I expect the BBC will edit their report accordingly too

Final update And they [BBC] have now done so..

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