Bryant’s decision to halt Drumcree parade to be challenged in court

Posters at the Garvaghy Road in Portadown, Co Armagh (Liam McBurney/PA)

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant’s decision to ban an Orange Order parade from Garvaghy Road is to be challenged in court.

Mr Bryant acted after coming under pressure in an almost two-week standoff resulting from a decision by the Parades Commission to allow the Drumcree parade on its traditional route at the former flashpoint for the first time in 28 years.

He said he took his decision “in the best interests of peace”, adding he had been advised by PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher that allowing the procession to go ahead could lead to serious injury, disorder and wider unrest.

The announcement on Friday night was greeted by cheers on the Garvaghy Road from those who opposed the parade.

But lawyers for the Portadown District of the Orange Order are applying for leave at the High Court in Belfast to take a judicial review of the intervention by Mr Bryant.

Later, the Court of Appeal will issue a judgment following a previous challenge by the Garvaghy Road residents to the Parades Commission determination.

Meanwhile, First Minister Michelle O’Neill and her Sinn Féin colleagues – Finance Minister John O’Dowd, Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald and Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins – will face no confidence motions after backing the Garvaghy Road residents amid protests.

Ms O’Neill was among a number of people who have received a letter from the PSNI to be interviewed over alleged offences around the protests.

She said she will do “whatever needs to be done”, adding she is “happy that the decision that I took was the right decision … to support that community who needed my support”.

The motions were proposed by TUV MLA Timothy Gaston and supported by DUP MLAs Diane Dodds and Jonathan Buckley as well as UUP leader Jon Burrows.

The motions contend those ministers “no longer enjoy the confidence of the Assembly” after they allegedly “participated in the unlawful protest on the Garvaghy Road on 27 September 2026 which prevented a permitted parade from proceeding”. It adds that by doing so they “failed to observe their pledge of office”.

If passed, the motions would see those ministers excluded from holding office as minister or junior minister for a period of 12 months.

However, to pass the motions will require cross-community support, which is not expected to happen.