A Northern Ireland Office minister rejected Conservative claims at the UUP conference that the people had been betrayed by recent Labour government proposals on the administration of justice.
Mr Quentin Davies, the Conservative spokesman on the North, used his address to the conference to criticise a clause of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill.
He said it drew a "disgraceful" legal distinction between definitions of terrorism in Northern Ireland and abroad. He alleged that the British government displayed inconsistency in its approach to international terrorism following the events of September 11th and that shown to paramilitaries in Northern Ireland.
It was a theme which echoed through speeches made by delegates and was referred to by the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble.
However, Mr Des Browne, a junior minister at the Northern Ireland Office, rejected the claim. Speaking at a packed fringe meeting on plans to overhaul the criminal justice system in the North unveiled last week, Mr Browne defended his government's actions and accused the Tory spokesman of singling out a clause in the legislation, and quoting it out of context as part of a "cheap shot" against the government.
Mr Browne told the meeting that many of the criticisms of the criminal justice review did not stand up to scrutiny and he detailed what he saw as the positive aspects of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill.
UUP members have questioned the need for a review in the first place and, in particular, have criticised the recommendation to remove symbols of the British crown from inside courtrooms.
In response to one critic during a question-and-answer session, he denied that Northern Ireland's Britishness was being "hollowed out". Mr Browne said just one proposal referred to the royal insignia out of 294. He said he fully expected strong representation on the issue from Mr Trimble and Lady Hermon, the North Down MP, as the Bill progressed through Parliament.
"Sensitive as they are, symbols are not the determining feature of this review," he said.
Among the recommendations are a change of oath for newly-appointed judges, the appointment of an attorney general for Northern Ireland, the creation of a new independent prosecution service and a judicial appointments commission.
Mr Browne said these and other proposals should be seen in the context of a mature review.
He said the plans did not mean the running down of the justice system or a breaking away from Britain.