Allister rejects McGuinness role in judicial appointments
01 December 2006
Statement by DUP MEP Jim Allister QC
It is important to realise that if policing and justice powers were devolved it would not only deliver control of these vital matters to that Minister, or Ministers, but it would also directly give a role on key issues to Martin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister. Thus, making the prospect even less palatable.
As is clear from Cm 6963, HMGs recently published Discussion Paper on Devolving Policing and Justice, the joint office of First Minster & Deputy First Minister would have the following pivotal powers:-
the appointment of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland (para 7.5 of Cm 6963), who in turn will appoint the Director of Public Prosecutions;
recommending, through the PM, who should be appointed as senior judges (i.e. Lord Chief Justice and Lord Justices of Appeal) (para 15.19 of Cm 6963);
appointment of the NI Judicial Appointments Commission, which in turn makes all judicial appointments up to and including High Court Judges (para 15.21 of Cm 6963);
powers of removal from judicial office (including High Court judges appointed after devolution) (para 15.25 Cm 6963);
It is nauseating to think that someone who was a principal in the terrorist IRA, which murdered a Lord Justice of Appeal and his wife (Lord & Lady Gibson), and several other judicial figures, should ever get anywhere near having an input into judicial appointments in Northern Ireland. Such should be repulsive to all law abiding citizens and of itself enough to cause Unionists to determine that the devolution of policing and justice is a non-starter.
