DUP warns against 'convincted terrorist becoming justice minister'

The people of Northern Ireland could not stomach anyone from Sinn Féin convicted of terror offences serving as a devolved policing and justice minister, it was claimed today.

After a meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy at Hillsborough Castle on the future of the full-time police reserve, Democratic Unionist MP Nigel Dodds said the nomination of Gerry Kelly or any other former IRA prisoner as policing and justice minister would not be acceptable.