Court to rule on NI secretary banning Garvaghy Road march

Court to rule on NI secretary banning Orange Order from marching down Garvaghy Road

Updated / Wednesday, 28 Oct 2026 06:25

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A Belfast court will rule today whether the Northern Ireland Secretary of State was right to ban an Orange Order parade from the predominately nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown.

Chris Bryant made the decision earlier this month following a weeklong nationalist counter protest to prevent the Drumcree parade.

The Portadown District of the Orange Order challenged that decision in the courts.

It had been given permission by the Parades Commission for an early morning, silent procession by 35 of its members along the Garvaghy Road.

The High Court in Belfast is scheduled to hand down its judgment this morning.

The court was told that by 9 October the police believed all available, lawful and proportionate ways to facilitate the parade had been exhausted.

It was assessed that the only remaining option would require a substantial public order operation, with an unacceptable risk of serious injury and wider unrest across Northern Ireland.

PSNI intelligence provided to Mr Bryant indicated the presence of dissident republicans amongst thousands who had attended the counter protest, with the possibility that they had access to weapons that might be used against police.

A lawyer for the Garvaghy Road residents later said the residents should not be identified with or held responsible for the potential criminal conduct of any "fringe elements or bad actors".

The court heard the police intelligence assessment also indicated that loyalist paramilitaries were supporting the parade and it was likely increasing numbers of them would attend the area.

The PSNI Chief Constable asked Mr Bryant to review the Parade Commission determination based on the potential for disorder.

Mr Bryant decided it was not in the public interest and used powers available to him under parading legislation to ban it.

The Portadown District of the Orange Order argued the ban was irrational, contradictory and in breach of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

They said they had obtained a lawful determination by the Parade Commission, which had then been frustrated by unlawful conduct.

Several members of Sinn Féin, including First Minister Michelle O'Neill, have attended police interviews over their decision to help block the Garvaghy Road and prevent the parade.

Unionists have demanded that they face legal consequences with some arguing the DUP should withdraw Emma Little-Pengelly from the deputy first minister's position in order to bring down the Stormont Executive.

So far, the DUP leader Gavin Robinson has resisted pressure to do so, including from within the ranks of his own party.