A new law guaranteeing Catholics 50 per cent of jobs in the Police Service of Northern Ireland is to be challenged in the High Court in Belfast today by a Protestant whose application was rejected.
Mr Mark Parsons (18), from Bangor, Co Down, is challenging a section of the Police (NI) Act 2000 which states: "In making appointments the Chief Constable shall appoint from a pool of qualified applicants an even number of whom one half shall be persons who are treated as Roman Catholic and one half shall be persons who are not so treated."
Mr Parsons' lawyers will argue that this section is incompatible with Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights which guarantees a right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and Article 14 which prohibits discrimination. The case is due to come before Mr Justice Kerr today when a hearing date is likely to be fixed.