Former DUP leader has asked for his British royal knighthood to be renounced after his conviction for rape and other sexual offences.
Donaldson has also given up his seat on the Privy Council, a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom.
These decisions were confirmed in a statement issued by his solicitor. The statement read: "I have this afternoon issued a letter signed by Jeffrey Donaldson to the Cabinet Office indicating a request to renounce and forfeit his knighthood. I have this afternoon issued a letter signed by Jeffrey Donaldson to the Privy Council office tendering his resignation from the privy council with immediate effect."
Donaldson was awarded a knighthood in 2016, these honours are awarded by the monarch and can be formally revoked by them. An individual can renounce their knighthood, however it remains until the honour is annulled by the King.
On Monday, Donaldson was found guilty for 18 counts of sexual abuse, including one count of rape which occurred when the two women were children.
He will be sentenced in the autumn and has been remanded into custody to Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim.
Former appeal court judge John Gillen paid tribute to the courage of the victims for coming forward. According to the Irish Independent, Gillen led a review of how sexual offences are handled in the North of Ireland and has previously made 250 recommendations.
Some of the recommendations included the exclusion of the public from all serious sexual offence hearings, anonymity of complainants to continue after death; and an increase in the penalty for breach of anonymity.
Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland about the Donaldson trial, Gillen said: “We have had a culture here in Northern Ireland which hasn’t properly heard women and girls and children in the past, they have endured sorrows that cannot talk. Well I think this trial has struck a blow against that culture, and I think the process, the outcome, has all spoken to women and victims overall for the future."
“I think the trial shows that the changes that have come about have been monumental in the way that criminal trials of serious sexual offences are dealt with. There is much to be done still. I’m not saying it’s perfect, I’m not saying it’s other than a difficult time for victims to come forward, but changes have been made," he continued.
