In a written ministerial statement today, Bradley said appointments were needed for the Northern Ireland Policing Board, the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission, and the Probation Board for Northern Ireland.
The policing board has not been properly constituted since 2017 and currently lacks the political members it needs to function, membership of the NIJAC’s has fallen to a very low level, and the probation board’s entire membership is due to expire in November.
Bradley said the UK government’s priority was to restore the Stormont executive, but until then she would “take any urgent and necessary action to protect good governance and the delivery of public services in Northern Ireland”.
She said: “I hope that an accommodation can be reached and an executive formed so that Northern Ireland ministers can make these important appointments in the autumn.
“If not, I am prepared to bring forward legislation to enable these appointments to be made to ensure that these bodies can continue their vital work.”
