10/10/2026
Garvaghy Road Decision Raises Serious Questions About the Rule of Law, Policing and Political Accountability
South Lurgan Community Forum has expressed serious concerns following the news that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has moved to prohibit the Portadown District church parade from returning home along the Garvaghy Road.
The decision follows a prolonged unlawful protest on the Garvaghy Road after the Parades Commission permitted a restricted parade of 35 members, without bands or supporters. The PSNI subsequently acknowledged that the unlawful and unnotified protest had prevented the authorised parade from proceeding.
The Forum believes these events raise fundamental questions about the rule of law, the authority of the Parades Commission, public confidence in policing and the accountability of those holding political office.
If a parade receives lawful authorisation but cannot proceed because of an unlawful protest, what message does that send to every other organisation expected to comply with the law?
How can the Loyal Orders and Northern Ireland’s approximately 650 marching bands be expected to respect and comply with determinations issued by the Parades Commission if those determinations cannot be implemented?
The issue goes far beyond one parade, one organisation or one community. It concerns whether the law is applied consistently and whether lawful decisions can be effectively upheld.
South Lurgan Community Forum also questions the damage these events could cause to relationships between the PSNI and community organisations.
Community groups across Northern Ireland invest considerable time and effort in building relationships with the police, encouraging cooperation, promoting responsible behaviour and helping maintain peaceful communities.
How can those organisations be expected to continue encouraging cooperation and respect for the law when they have witnessed an authorised parade prevented from proceeding?
The PSNI has emphasised its responsibility to protect public safety and balance the rights of all parties. However, the Forum believes there must be a full and transparent explanation of how those responsibilities were exercised and why the parade could not proceed.
There are equally serious questions surrounding political accountability.
The involvement of senior political representatives in the Garvaghy Road protest, including Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, and Policing Board member Deirdre Hargey, has intensified concerns.
How can the public be expected to maintain confidence in the Northern Ireland Assembly if there is a perception that those responsible for making and upholding laws are prepared to disregard them?
Holding public office must bring greater responsibility, not greater privilege.
No political representative, regardless of party, position or community background, should be above the law.
South Lurgan Community Forum recognises that the right to peaceful protest, the right to freedom of assembly and the rights of local residents must all be respected. However, those rights must be balanced through lawful processes rather than determined by whichever side can mobilise the greatest number of people.
The Forum is calling for clear answers from the Secretary of State, the Chief Constable and political representatives at Stormont.
It is essential that the public receives an explanation of the legal basis for the Secretary of State’s intervention, the policing decisions taken throughout the stand-off and the measures that will ensure consistent enforcement of the law in future.
Respect for the law cannot be conditional on whether we agree with the decision. Political accountability cannot depend on which party is involved. And public confidence cannot survive if communities believe that different standards apply to different people.
South Lurgan Community Forum remains committed to peaceful community relations, constructive engagement and the principles of fairness, equality and accountability. However, those principles must be demonstrated through actions, not simply repeated in political statements.
Our people deserve answers. They deserve consistency. Above all, they deserve confidence that the law applies equally to everyone.
South Lurgan Community Forum
