The Public Processions (Electronic Communication of Notices) (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 came into force on 12 March 2015. This will allow for notice of parades and related protests to be submitted electronically and is in-line with the cross-government ‘Digital by Default’ agenda set out in the Government Digital Strategy.
It will mean that organisers can submit notice of parades and protests in Northern Ireland through an online portal, thus avoiding the cost and inconvenience of travelling to the relevant police station. For those who do not have access to electronic means, the current system will continue to run in parallel, resulting in no disadvantage.
The Secretary of State has made a Direction, in accordance with section 7A of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998.
The new notification portal can be accessed via the Parades Commission website