DUP loses appeal against Trimble’s re-election
The Democratic Unionist Party has lost its challenge to the legality of the re-election of the North’s First and Deputy First Ministers last year.
The party had claimed that the re-election was not valid because too much time had elapsed since UUP leader David Trimble resigned as First Minister.
The High Court has already rejected this argument and today, the British Law Lords voted by three votes to two to uphold the legality of the re-election.
Peter Robinson, the DUP’s deputy leader, said the ruling showed that the power-sharing Executive exists under the narrowest of constitutional shelves.
He added that Northern Secretary John Reid had escaped by a hair’s breadth.
