The spending has been described as 'political posturing' and 'clearly a waste of public money'
A quashed decision by former DUP minister Edwin Poots to order officials to halt Protocol-related checks has cost the public more than £57,000 in legal fees.
A legal challenge to the order was brought by a Sinn Féin member, another applicant named Edward Rooney and Belfast City Council. The South Belfast MLA said: "Not only are people in Northern Ireland paying the price for the DUP's Protocol protest by not having a government to deal with the cost-of-living crisis, hospital waiting lists and the emergency in public service pay, we are literally paying tens of thousands of pounds to defend outrageously political and clearly unlawful decisions in legal cases with little to no chance of success.
Talks between the UK and European Union are continuing in a bid to resolve disagreements over the trading arrangements. From the Northern Ireland Protocol to other thorny issues inside Stormont and exclusive interviews - we’ve got you covered.Mr Poots last year said he had received legal advice that he could order a halt to Protocol-related checks in the absence of approval of the inspections from the wider Executive.
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