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The Court of Appeal has dismissed the attempt by residents of the Garvaghy Road to overturn the Parades Commission’s approval of the Drumcree parade moving through their predominantly nationalist area. The judges emphasized that their role was limited to assessing the legality of the commission’s decision rather than determining whether the march should actually take place. The ruling, delivered by Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan, was made prior to the Northern Ireland Secretary’s decision last Friday to prohibit the parade altogether.
The residents had challenged the commission’s judgment, particularly criticizing how it evaluated the risk of disorder linked to the event. Despite these arguments, the court concluded that the Parades Commission had lawfully considered the police’s assessment and offered sufficient reasoning for its verdict. Lady Chief Justice Keegan clearly stated, “This application for leave to appeal has no reasonable prospect of success.” Earlier, in September, the commission had allowed the Orange Order’s parade in Portadown under conditions requiring an earlier start time and a reduced number of participants—the first permitted march there in 28 years.
Breandán Mac Cionnaith, spokesperson for the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition, described the court’s decision as largely theoretical, since the march had already been banned by Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant. Speaking outside the court, he remarked, “The ban is in place, that’s what we sought, we have prevented the march and we will be back again to prevent further marches.” Mac Cionnaith also indicated that the coalition would consult with legal advisors regarding potential further actions. He raised concerns about the Parades Commission’s reasoning and insisted they must “provide a full explanation” for allowing the march initially.
Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson, present outside the court alongside TUV MLA Timothy Gaston, defended the legal right of the Portadown District to parade through the Garvaghy Road. Bryson asserted that the objections to the march were legally unfounded, stating, “They have lost twice in the high court, twice in the court of appeal – how many times do we need to beat them before they will abide by the law?” This legal dispute has its roots in the long-standing Drumcree parade issue, which began in the mid-1990s and sparked serious unrest, including violence and road blockades. Since then, the Parades Commission has strived to manage and regulate contentious marches to reduce tensions, though the Orange Order’s efforts to walk the route have repeatedly been contested by residents and policing authorities alike. The recent outright ban by the Northern Ireland Secretary came after the residents’ persistent presence on Garvaghy Road ended following the prohibition
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