War of words plunges peace process into crisis

The Northern peace process has been plunged into crisis because the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionist Party reneged on an agreement with Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams said today.

The DUP had agreed to accept the devolution of policing and justice by May 2008 – the timeframe set out in the St Andrews Agreement – as long as Sinn Féin made the historic step of giving backing to the police and justice system, he said.