A Parades Commission member has resigned after a High Court judge criticised the handling of this year's Drumcree parade determination. Billy Gamble, a former senior civil servant, stepped down on Wednesday.

On Tuesday the High Court quashed the commission's restriction on the Orange Order parade returning to Portadown via the Garvaghy Road. The commission conceded last week that not all six members had signed off on the final determination before it was issued. Mr Justice McAlinden said the commission had made errors, taken short cuts, and followed sloppy procedures.

During the case Mr Gamble was criticised for an email in which he wrote that mediation was a non-starter and that the commission should not give the Orange Order an angle to keep prodding. Professor Evelyn Collins, the commission chair, later described the private comments as out of line but said they had no bearing on the decision-making.

Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant met Professor Collins and expressed serious concern. He asked for written assurances by close of play on Friday that the commission's processes are fair, robust, independent and impartial, and that a plan exists to restore public confidence.

Professor Collins said on Thursday she does not intend to resign. She accepted the criticisms and said the commission is committed to fulfilling its statutory duties and fixing the problems identified.

On Friday the Portadown District of the Orange Order said the chair should resign and commissioners who had not read the determination should consider their positions. It called for an independent review led by a retired judge. The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland said the remaining five members must acknowledge their failings and follow suit, and that a comprehensive review of the commission's structures and decision-making processes is required.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the issues are far from resolved and that one resignation is not enough. He stated that the Secretary of State has a responsibility to assess whether he has confidence in the commissioners. TUV councillor Allister Kyle said the commission should not get off with the sacrifice of a single scapegoat.

Sinn Féin MP John Finucane said recent events have been hugely damaging to community relations. He noted that residents of the Garvaghy Road have watched with concern, but also pointed to the transformation of community relations since the late 1990s, warning that such progress can be undone when old wounds are reopened.

The current commission was appointed in January 2024 for a three-year term. The chair is paid between £50,000 and £55,000; other commissioners earn between £20,000 and £25,000. The original 1998 ruling banning the march from the Garvaghy Road sparked serious public disorder and a decades-long parading dispute.