UK government seeks to appeal ruling over Brown inquiry
The British government has lodged papers seeking permission of the UK Supreme Court to appeal an order mandating a public inquiry into the murder of GAA chairman Sean Brown.
The Supreme Court has now listed the case on its website.
The British government applied for what is known as Permission to Appeal or PTA.
It is seeking to overturn an order of the Belfast High Court that it must hold a public inquiry into Mr Brown's murder.
That order was reaffirmed by Northern Ireland's Court of Appeal when the case was first appealed there.
Mr Brown was abducted and murdered by loyalists as he locked up Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA club in 1997.
A now discontinued inquest heard that several British state agents were amongst 25 people linked by intelligence to his killing.
The Belfast courts ruled that with the shutting down of criminal and civil avenues to justice for Troubles cases by the controversial UK Legacy Act, a public inquiry was the only way for the British authorities to comply with its responsibility to provide a proper investigation into the murder.
The Brown family will now get an opportunity to object to the granting of a hearing at the Supreme Court.
A decision on whether to accept the case is expected in around four months.
If permission to take the case to the Supreme Court is granted, the hearing is likely to be some six to nine months later.
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