IT HAS taken a very long time to get to this point, but the transfer of justice and policing powers and the appointment of Alliance leader David Ford as justice minister marks a step-change in the governance of Northern Ireland. The final element of a complex peace process has been put in place and, with goodwill and hard work, political representatives are now in a position to deliver in a comprehensive way on the normalisation of society.
Inevitably, there will be difficulties and setbacks. But because the implications of what was agreed between the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin were teased out in such minute detail during protracted negotiations, major surprises are unlikely to occur. It has been 38 years since the British government seized control of justice and security powers, following the introduction of internment and an escalation of violence. The old Stormont fell, violence continued and reforms gradually trickled through. Twelve years ago, the Belfast Agreement was signed. The decommissioning of paramilitary weapons and the establishment of powersharing structures followed. Now, a return of policing and justice functions represents a completion of that cycle. The last milestone has passed.
An opportunity now exists to create a spirit of partnership in the North. Those negotiations that led to the transfer of powers from Westminster also considered in detail the problems of a dysfunctional Executive, where relations between the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin Ministers had become poisonous and Ministers from the Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP felt excluded and marginalised. The appointment of Mr Ford as justice minister has broadened that political base while creating tensions with the SDLP. And the Westminster elections will generate their own pressures. But these are transitory problems and there is no reason why politicians should not pull together to the benefit of the whole community. In that regard, a working group has been appointed to explore the possibility of making progress in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect.
Political one-upmanship has had a corrosive effect on established structures. And while sectarianism and its attendant pressures are unlikely to end any day soon, politicians have a chance to show they can make a difference and contribute to the wealth and wellbeing of their communities. Some have already received a taste of the public’s anger because of their neglect of social and economic issues. Let us hope they have learned that lesson.
The transfer of justice and policing powers is unlikely to have much of an impact in the short term. But it represents a significant advance in the creation of cross-community support for the institutions of government. There are those in both communities who would wish to put the clock back. Dissident republicans have shown their murderous intent in opposing change, through a series of bombing and gun attacks. This small group of fanatics cannot be allowed to thwart the wishes of electorates on both sides of the Border.