Democratic Unionist MP Mr Peter Robinson today welcomed the British House of Lords decision to hear his legal challenge to the election of Northern Ireland First Minister and Deputy First Minister earlier than expected.
Mr Robinson contends the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland last November flouted the law when he permitted the election of Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan outside the time set down by statute.
The House of Lords, Britain's highest appeal court, will hear the case on June 17th and 18th.
Mr Robinson said: "Because of the huge constitutional significance of such a case the normal one-year waiting period has been avoided and the matter will receive an early hearing".
He said: "At every point in the process the [British] government has flouted the law and changed the rules as they have gone along. To ignore the verdict of the House of Lords as the [British] government has indicated would reduce the current political process from the sublime to the ridiculous".
"Six months ago the Secretary of State denied the people of Northern Ireland the right to have their say. June's hearing in the House of Lords may yet represent the beginning of the end of the Belfast Agreement and the renaissance of democracy in Northern Ireland," he said.
