Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant has issued a ruling barring the Drumcree parade from proceeding along Garvaghy Road, a decision that drew an expression of support from Jon Boutcher, the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Speaking through a televised broadcast, Sir Chris outlined how the PSNI's chief constable had approached him that same day to request a reassessment of the Parades Commission's initial ruling. He stated that upon weighing the changed conditions in Portadown — among them the mounting obstacles facing the procession — he had determined that permitting it to proceed would run contrary to the public interest, and had therefore imposed a prohibition on it. He noted that the decision had not been arrived at lightly.

In a formal communication sent that morning to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Chief Constable put forward a request invoking section 9 of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998, asking that the Secretary of State examine the determination reached by the Parades Commission under section 8 in connection with the notified public procession put forward by Portadown District Loyal Orange Lodge No 1.

The application stemmed from a continuing evaluation that had evolved in the period following the initial ruling. The stated approach throughout had been to support and enable the march that the ruling deemed lawful.

In a letter addressed to the Secretary of State, the position set out was that every available, lawful, and proportionate measure for enabling the procession to conclude had, by that point, been tried and found wanting. The letter stated that other options — chiefly a large-scale public order deployment — fell outside what could be considered a proportionate response, carrying with them a meaningful potential for physical harm, civil unrest, and a destabilising effect that could have spread more widely across Northern Ireland.

The letter also raised concerns that proceeding with such an operation would have undermined trust and confidence in policing, while also placing strain on both the Northern Ireland Executive and the broader peace process. It further set out that neither mediation efforts nor political engagement had yielded a lasting agreement, with the positions held by each party having grown increasingly fixed over time.

The Chief Constable noted that ongoing expenses and operational pressures on the Police Service of Northern Ireland were at a level that existing budgetary constraints would not allow to continue without limit.

The Secretary of State's ruling drew an expression of approval from those involved. Relations between communities and police forces on both sides shifted noticeably over the fortnight that followed.

Sinn Féin and the SDLP received the Secretary of State's decision positively. DUP leader Gavin Robinson called on him to set out what steps his Government plans to take to rebuild trust in the rule of law, with the broader statement noting that space for dialogue on longer-term approaches to the matter would serve all parties involved.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the decision as one that would bring welcome news to residents living along the Garvaghy Road.

A statement from the Portadown Orange District confirmed that Judicial Review proceedings had been lodged against the Secretary of State's ruling to prohibit the Drumcree parade, and that members would hold their position on Drumcree Hill until those legal proceedings reached a conclusion.