Sinn Féin's Mr Martin McGuinness today claimed plans by RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan to begin a recruitment drive for the new police service in the North were illegal.
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Mr Martin McGuinness
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The North's education minister warned his party was considering legal action over the Chief Constable's plan to launch his recruitment drive this week. He said the move was illegal because there was no Policing Board in place.
Mr McGuinness said the Police Act made it clear the Police Board must be consulted before embarking on a recruitment campaign.
He called for a statement from Northern Ireland Secretary Mr John Reid on the issue.
"In our view the Chief Constable of the RUC, if he goes ahead with his recruitment campaign, is acting illegally and outside the terms of the Police Act," he argued.
Mr McGuinness also queried whether a review of the Belfast Agreement would assist the parties in resolving the problems in the peace process, given the "bad faith" which he said had been created not just by Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble but by the British government.
He said: "We have had duplicity the whole way along the road in terms of attempts to bring about a new beginning to policing.
"I think from our perspective what we want to hear from the British government in the course of the coming days is whether or not they are going to go back to the Agreement that they made on Good Friday 1988 and in May last year with ourselves and others in the course of the very important discussions at Hillsborough Castle."
PA