Allister Answers Donaldson on P and J
23 October 2009
Responding to Jeffrey Donaldson Jim Allister said:
“TUV never stated that Sinn Fein/IRA were going to hold the justice Ministry immediately following it being devolved to Stormont. We have, however, pointed out repeatedly that the shoddy deal cobbled together by the DUP and Republicans – one which, incidentally, excludes any Unionist from holding the post – runs out in 2012. After that, Sinn Fein will have the opportunity to extract new concessions. One of the options provided in the legislation is that policing and justice could then pass to the Joint First Ministers!
“Even under the current set up all cross-cutting issues relating to justice must go before the Executive where Sinn Fein/IRA have a permanent veto.
“As for the appointment of members of the judiciary, one needs only to look at what Martin McGuinness said on the eve of the European election:
“Who would ever have believed in 1999 that developments on the Justice front would demand that the appointment of the most senior law officer in the six counties – the new position of Attorney General – needed the joint approval of the Sinn Féin and the DUP joint First Ministers?”
“And what about North/South input? Well, an Assembly Committee has already travelled to Dublin to meet with the Republic’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Justice Minister, the Garda Commissioner and the Oireachtas Justice Committee.
“If Dublin will have no role once policing and justice is devolved just what were they talking about?
“But one thing is certain – it ill-becomes Jeffrey Donaldson to talk about anyone losing credibility and scaremongering considering that he is still in denial about his Damascus Road conversion to the policies of David Trimble”.
