Court of Appeal overturns ban on Orange Order's Garvaghy Road parade
The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court injunction against the Orange Order's Garvaghy Road parade, clearing the way for 35 Orangemen to march in Portadown at 8am on Sunday for the first time in nearly 30 years.
The Orange Order will be allowed to march down the nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown on Sunday after the Court of Appeal overturned a High Court ban, clearing the way for the parade to go ahead for the first time in nearly 30 years.
The parade of 35 Orangemen is due to start at 8am. The Parades Commission had ruled on Friday that it could go ahead; a residents’ challenge saw High Court judge Justice Patricia Smyth grant a temporary injunction on Saturday, warning that the long-running dispute had “the potential to escalate” across Northern Ireland. The Orange Order’s appeal against that ruling succeeded.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan was deciding whether the case can be remitted back to the High Court for a further hearing.
Delivering her Saturday ruling, Justice Smyth said “the level of mistrust between the residents and the Portadown Orange lodge cannot be overstated” and urged both sides to “be big enough to step back from the abyss”.
Portadown District lodge had written to the court opposing any delay, saying the suggestion there was no prejudice to it was “absolutely contrary to all reality”, and warned that those opposed could “simply ramp up the threat of disorder or violence … and therefore effectively act as a veto”.
Reuters separately reported the march may proceed through the Catholic area after the court reversed the temporary ban, and said the Parades Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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