Clause 11 - Suspension and revocation of licence
Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill
2:15 pm
Peter Robinson (Belfast East, DUP)
I beg to move amendment No. 33, in clause 11, page 7, line 16, at end insert
‘or if the person who holds a licence later glorifies the offence for which the licence was issued.’.
I shall be brief. I hope that other Committee members will move their amendments just as quickly. They did not follow the precedent I set on the previous occasion.
The amendment relates to whether and in what circumstances a licence should be suspended. It indicates that for the purposes of suspension if a licence holder is responsible for glorifying the act to which the licence applies, the licence should be suspended. That does not seem unreasonable to me, and if anybody thinks that such a thing is unlikely, they do not know the paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland. They have not seen Michael Stone and Johnny Adair going to the Ulster hall after their release, Keenan after his release, the Colombia three being cheered at Sinn Fein conferences, and how quickly the three accused of being in the Stormont spy ring were trailed before the press.
Let us be clear: such things will happen. Rita O’Hare and others will be brought back from the places where they are hiding at present. They will be trailed in front of the press and justify their actions, just as happened in those previous cases. Is that the message that the Minister wants to go out? He said that one of the purposes of this legislation was to draw a line under the past. Surely the victims should not have to endure not only seeing justice denied, but being tormented by those who have already inflicted suffering on them. The amendment would prevent the glorification—a term with which the Government are familiar—of the offence, and that is an issue about which the Government feel strongly. I hope that they will consider the amendment appropriate, and accept it.