Drumcree: Orange legal warning to Parades Commissioners as order makes fresh bid to complete march Garvaghy Road
The Orange Order will today lodge its bid to complete a parade from Drumcree Church for the first time since it was banned in 1998.
The News Letter understands that the Portadown District will make its bid via a legal submission – which will essentially accuse the Parades Commission of having made their minds up already.
They are saying that even if the current commissioners remain in office they can play no part in this decision – because of their allegation of pre-determination and bias following material revealed in last week’s High Court case.
They will cite the comments of Billy Gamble – who has since resigned – and a failure, in their view, by the commission’s chair Evelyn Collins to repudiate them.
Mr Gamble had faced criticism over pomments, which were referenced in the High Court, that he made about the Drumcree parade determination. In an email he had described mediation over the parading dispute as a “non-starter”.
The Parades Commission has previously said the decision to impose conditions on the parade was “taken unanimously at a meeting on 24 June 2026, at which all Commissioners were present, after careful consideration of a wide range of information available to the Commission”.
"This included the results of a detailed programme of outreach conducted in January and April 2026, as well as reports from the PSNI, elected representatives and other stakeholders. The decision of the Commission was taken in light of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 and the applicable policy framework”, they said.
The body argued that the decision of the High Court does not affect any future considerations and decisions by the Commission of future parades or protests – and says any such notifications will be considered carefully and a decision made on the basis of all of the information available and in light of the legal framework.
“The Commission has already implemented procedural changes to address the issue identified in the proceedings and will continue, as a learning organisation, to ensure that its processes are lawful and appropriate. As a public authority, the Commission welcomes scrutiny and accountability”, they said.