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01/02/2017
Supreme Court: PSNI Had Power To Stop Flag Protests
The Supreme court has ruled that the PSNI was wrong to allow union flag protests.
Five Supreme Court justices in London ruled unanimously in favour of an unnamed Belfast resident, and said that police did have the legal power to stop the parades.
In 2014, a High Court judge ruled that the PSNI should not have facilitated illegal parades.
The PSNI said it had received the judgement and would "study it carefully".
Sinn Féin Councillor Mairéad O'Donnell welcomed the ruling.
She said: "I commend the local resident who has pursued this case through the courts on behalf of all the people of Short Strand.
"For months the people of the Short Strand had to endure parades passing through our area related to the loyalist flags protest.
"Essentially the community was under siege from these illegal parades.
"The community challenged the PSNI to do something about it but they refused.
"Today's judgement from the Supreme Court found that the PSNI had to power to stop these parades all along but they failed to do so.
"The PSNI got it wrong and the community in the Short Strand suffered.
"People need to have confidence in the PSNI that they are acting on behalf of the entire community.
"Today's judge needs to herald a step change in PSNI actions.
"Sinn Féin representatives will be raising this with the PSNI at the Policing Board."
(CD/LM)
Five Supreme Court justices in London ruled unanimously in favour of an unnamed Belfast resident, and said that police did have the legal power to stop the parades.
In 2014, a High Court judge ruled that the PSNI should not have facilitated illegal parades.
The PSNI said it had received the judgement and would "study it carefully".
Sinn Féin Councillor Mairéad O'Donnell welcomed the ruling.
She said: "I commend the local resident who has pursued this case through the courts on behalf of all the people of Short Strand.
"For months the people of the Short Strand had to endure parades passing through our area related to the loyalist flags protest.
"Essentially the community was under siege from these illegal parades.
"The community challenged the PSNI to do something about it but they refused.
"Today's judgement from the Supreme Court found that the PSNI had to power to stop these parades all along but they failed to do so.
"The PSNI got it wrong and the community in the Short Strand suffered.
"People need to have confidence in the PSNI that they are acting on behalf of the entire community.
"Today's judge needs to herald a step change in PSNI actions.
"Sinn Féin representatives will be raising this with the PSNI at the Policing Board."
(CD/LM)
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