Welcome and thank you for visiting the Strategic Review of Parading's website.

This site has been established specifically to allow for you to let us have your views on the future of parading and public assemblies in Northern Ireland.

Rt Hon Lord Paddy Ashdown

The Terms of Reference for the Strategic Review of Parading were announced in February 2007. They are to:

• investigate, examine and report on the significance and relevance of parading as an expression of faith and culture in Northern Ireland;
• investigate, examine and report on the meaning, significance and relevance of parading to broader society in Northern Ireland;
• examine why certain parades are considered contentious, what their impact is on wider community relations and if they encourage sectarianism;
• consider the impact of parading on NI society in the 21st century in terms of social and economic impact and the international perspective of the country;
• drawing on research already conducted, consider how parades, protests and events which take place on the public highway are regulated in other jurisdictions where there are diverse ethnic and cultural populations and traditions;
• consider the merits of local dialogue mediation facilitation and arbitration;
• make recommendations on how parading can be taken forward in Northern Ireland in a way which is consistent with the Shared Future Objectives of respect, tolerance, responsible citizenship and promoting equality of opportunity and human rights; and
• consider what the implications of the review findings are for public policy, including legislation.

Our interim report is published here and should you wish to have your say responses can be posted here.

We can't promise to include everyone's views in our final report but all representations will be considered.

The deadline for consultation on the Interim Consultative Report is the 8th August 2008.
This deadline has now been extended to 31 August 2008.