The BBC reports today that 17 Irish nationalist/republican Newry & Mourne councillors have been found guilty of discrimination by a court after a case raised by William Frazer, a campaigner for victims of paramilitary violence. The councillors could now be left with a £10,000 fine.

Frazer's victims group FAIR had asked the council for the use of a local council-owned community centre in Newtownhamilton (once a week as I understand). The councillors rejected the application on the grounds of 'local opposition' to the move. A court upheld a complaint from Frazer which alleged discrimination. As a result, the court ruled that the group should get the use of the centre and the council has now been landed with a large legal bill.

UUP councillor Danny Kennedy referred the issue to the local government auditor, who recommended (in a provisional report) that the councillors involved should foot the bill because they ignored legal advice that their decision was unlawful. Just right too - why should all the ratepayers foot the bill for the blind bigotry and prejudices of their elected representatives? Kennedy welcomed the recommendation but wants the councillors to also be barred from office too.

The Sinn Fein and SDLP councillors involved have denied any wilful misconduct and have until the end of the month to appeal.

Follow up:

Frazer (along with his group Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR)) is unpopular with republicans due to such heinous crimes as having the sash as his ringtone and highlighting that the IRA's 30 years of destruction and violence has left hundreds and thousands of innocent people scarred for life. I don't know enough about FAIR and its history to have a detailed opinion, but it's hardly surprising that Sinn Fein supporters are unhappy at a group that highlights and supports the victims of their army - only republicans are victims after all. Alas, I digress...

Update
The BBC also report today on a case in England where a panel was ruled to have overstepped its powers after disciplining a councillor over derogatory comments he made about how he resented paying taxes for the "lazy Irish".

While the judge said he was indeed in breach of the code of conduct, he ruled the case tribunal had been wrong to impose sanctions on an elected representative.

On one hand this case looks similar in that an unelected body is regulating elected officials, but at the same time the matter in Newry & Mourne is regarding specific action taken by the councillors, not just prejudiced attitudes.