Latest news with #PaulGreaney
South Wales Argus
21-07-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Omagh bomb families call for special advocate for closed hearings at inquiry
Omagh Bombing Inquiry chairman Lord Turnbull is hearing arguments around applications during dedicated hearings this week. Counsel to the inquiry Paul Greaney KC said the inquiry, which is probing whether the 1998 dissident republican bomb attack could have been prevented, will hear some sensitive security evidence in closed hearings. Paul Greaney KC, counsel to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry (Liam McBurney/PA) The atrocity in the Co Tyrone town on August 15 1998 killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins. Speaking during hearings in Belfast on Monday, Mr Greaney said the inquiry's legal team recognises that survivors and the bereaved have spent 25 years seeking the truth, and may be 'suspicious or even cynical of the UK state's willingness to engage in a way that is straightforward and wholehearted with this inquiry'. 'We acknowledge too, that the idea of evidence being heard in circumstances in which the families and survivors will be excluded is one that they will find difficult to accept, to say the least, and accordingly, we regard it as entirely understandable that some, although not all, have suggested special advocates should be appointed to represent their interests in any closed hearings, and have made applications for that to occur,' he said. Outlining the arguments that will be made, Mr Greaney said some contend special advocates cannot legally be appointed in a statutory public inquiry, while others have said if such a power does exist it should not be exercised. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn (PA) He said others have said special advocates can legally be appointed in an inquiry, and should be in this case to ensure the interests of the bereaved and survivors are protected, meanwhile others are neutral, and one group has said they are content to leave the matters to the inquiry's legal team. Mr Greaney also revealed that both the Advocate General of Northern Ireland Lord Hermer KC and Secretary of State Hilary Benn's position is that there is no power to appoint a special advocate in a statutory public inquiry. It was also noted that special advocates were not appointed in the inquiry into the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko or in the Manchester Arena Inquiry. Hugh Southey KC, acting for some of the bereaved families and survivors, emphasised the importance of a process from which everyone walks away feeling confident in the outcome. He said those which he represents have been calling for the appointment of a special advocate since the early days of the inquiry. 'They obviously have a degree of scepticism about the state's position in relation to this inquiry,' he said. 'There has been considerable delay in getting to this stage and also there is a history, they would argue, of the state not necessarily of being fully open, essentially about what's happened in the past, and because of that they are of the opinion that it is particularly important that any closed procedure involves the state being fully tested, and it's important also that they have confidence in the outcome of any closed procedure.' He added that special advocates played a key rule in a judicial review which was taken by Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was killed in the bomb, previously of the government's decision not to call a public inquiry. 'That is part of the reason why, from their point of view, it is important that special advocates continue to be involved in the process,' he said. He argued that those he represents who are excluded from the closed hearings in terms of not having a special advocate will not understand the legal basis. 'They won't understand the evidential basis, that's inevitable, but they will also not understand, be able to know whether there is any error effectively in the approach the inquiry adopt when making those findings,' he said. The hearing will continue on Tuesday.
ITV News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Omagh bomb families ask to be represented by special advocate in closed hearings at public inquiry
Survivors and families of those killed in the Omagh bomb have asked to be represented by a special advocate in closed hearings at the public Bombing Inquiry chairman Lord Turnbull is hearing arguments around applications during dedicated hearings this to the inquiry Paul Greaney KC said the inquiry, which is probing whether the 1998 dissident republican bomb attack could have been prevented, will hear some sensitive security evidence in closed hearings. The atrocity in the Co Tyrone town on August 15 1998 killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with during hearings in Belfast on Monday, Mr Greaney said the inquiry's legal team recognises that survivors and the bereaved have spent 25 seeking the truth, and may be 'suspicious or even cynical of the UK state's willingness to engage in a way that is straightforward and wholehearted with this inquiry'.'We acknowledge too, that the idea of evidence being heard in circumstances in which the families and survivors will be excluded is one that they will find difficult to accept, to say the least, and accordingly, we regard it as entirely understandable that some, although not all, have suggested special advocates should be appointed to represent their interests in any closed hearings, and have made applications for that to occur,' he said.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Omagh bombing inquiry: Disclosure pace 'must increase'
The Omagh bombing inquiry has been told the speed of disclosure "must increase".Twenty-nine people, including a woman who was pregnant with twins, were murdered in the Real IRA attack on 15 August public inquiry was established to examine if the attack could have been prevented by UK Monday, barrister Paul Greaney, counsel to the inquiry, told Lord Turnbull the legal team had hoped that disclosure from relevant bodies would have been more advanced than it currently is. Mr Greaney said the "speed of disclosure to the inquiry by material providers must increase".He repeated calls for "state core participants" and all "material providers" to work at pace to fulfil the requirements of the inquiry. Many documents, he said, exist only in hard copy and may take some time to added that the inquiry would use its powers to ensure the fullest possible levels of Greaney said the inquiry expects openness and transparency from state core participants. Barrister for the Northern Ireland Secretary Fiona Fee told the inquiry "a significant volume of work" has been undertaken in relation to inquiry disclosure."There is a vast volume of material which must be collated, carefully reviewed and provided to the inquiry."This process is not simply a matter of gathering readily available paperwork, it's an immense logistical undertaking requiring meticulous attention to detail, thorough analysis and a strategic, organised approach." Some material cannot be publicly disclosed A number of organisations fall under the remit of the NI Secretary including the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC), the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), the Cabinet Office (CO) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).Ms Fee said there will be variations on what is disclosed across the Secretary of State grouping, adding that there will "inevitably" be material that cannot be disclosed in open but will be provided to the inquiry said there will only be a "very limited amount" that UKIC can say in Ms Fee said the intelligence sector was "engaging meaningfully" with the inquiry and undergoing "an extremely difficult disclosure" overall disclosure process and evidential picture is at "an early stage", she added. Inquiry continues on Tuesday On Monday, the inquiry is hearing from lawyers representing the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the secretary of state, the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the head of the police at the time of the Omagh will also be read by lawyers representing families affected by the bombing. There will be a second day of statements on Tuesday. In February, the inquiry heard 14 days of powerful individual testimonies from relatives who lost loved ones in the also heard from emergency workers and people injured in the attack. What was the Omagh bomb? The bomb that devastated Omagh town centre in August 1998 was the biggest single atrocity in the history of the Troubles in Northern came less than three months after the people of Northern Ireland had voted yes to the Good Friday Agreement. Who carried out the Omagh bombing? Three days after the attack, the Real IRA released a statement claiming responsibility for the apologised to "civilian" victims and said its targets had been 27 years on, no-one has been convicted of carrying out the murders by a criminal 2009, a judge ruled that four men - Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly were all liable for the Omagh four men were ordered to pay a total of £1.6m in damages to the relatives, but appeals against the ruling delayed the compensation process.A fifth man, Seamus McKenna, was acquitted in the civil action and later died in a roofing accident in 2013.
The Independent
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Omagh inquiry told pace of disclosure ‘must increase'
The speed of disclosure to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry 'must increase', counsel to the proceedings has said. The Omagh Bombing Inquiry, chaired by Lord Turnbull, is hearing opening statements from core participants including representatives of bereaved families, victims, the PSNI, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The Real IRA bomb in the Co Tyrone town in August 1998 killed 29 people, including a woman who was pregnant with twins, in the worst single atrocity in the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The public inquiry was set up by the previous government to examine whether the explosion could have been prevented by the UK authorities. The opening statement section of the inquiry will take place over Monday and Tuesday. Earlier this year the inquiry heard personal statements from those affected by the massacre. Prior to the opening statements on Monday, Paul Greaney KC, counsel to the inquiry, told Lord Turnbull that the legal team had hoped that disclosure from relevant bodies would have been more advanced than it currently is. He further argued that there would be value in having at least one hearing to discuss progress of disclosure in September or October. 'The understandable consequence of the level of disclosure to core participants is that the opening statements of the bereaved families and survivors cannot be as detailed or evidence focused as they would have wished,' he said. Noting that the next stage of the inquiry will commence in March, he said: 'That gap of nine months between Chapter Two and Chapter Three is unfortunate, in our view.' He added: 'The simple fact is that the speed of disclosure to the inquiry by material providers must increase, and that is why we repeat the need for the state core participants and indeed all material providers to work at pace to fulfil the requirements of the inquiry and to ensure that the necessary resources, both human and financial, are dedicated to that work.' Mr Greaney noted that many documents exist only in hard copy and – even when held digitally – may take time to review and be disclosed. He offered three further general observations on proceedings. Mr Greaney stressed that the inquiry was not constrained by any other previous proceeding, investigation or review in its eventual findings. That comment came in advance of the written submission on behalf of Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn which contained a reference to the judicial review which led to the formation of the inquiry. At that time, a judge accepted that four of 10 grounds under consideration gave rise to a plausible argument that the bombing was preventable. Addressing concerns raised by survivors and victims that relevant documentation will be declared 'missing', Mr Greaney said any such claim 'will be subject to the most intense scrutiny by the inquiry', including demands around information on the search efforts and expectations of material being recovered. He added that the inquiry would use its powers to ensure the fullest possible levels of disclosure. On the subject of candour, Mr Greaney said the inquiry expects openness and transparency from state core participants He said state core participants have not made any such concessions in their written opening statements and reminded them that they would be subject to scrutiny. Fiona Fee KC, for the Northern Ireland Secretary, told the inquiry that 'a significant volume of work' has been undertaken in relation to inquiry disclosure. 'To explain the scope of the efforts, it's crucial to understand the extent of the materials involved,' she said. 'There is a vast volume of material which must be collated, carefully reviewed and provided to the inquiry. 'This process is not simply a matter of gathering readily available paperwork, it's an immense logistical undertaking requiring meticulous attention to detail, thorough analysis and a strategic, organised approach.' Ms Fee said the Northern Ireland Secretary had offered sincere condolences to all those who had suffered as a result of the 'horrific terrorist atrocity' at Omagh. A number of organisations fall under the remit of the NI Secretary as a core participant, including the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC), the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), the Cabinet Office (CO) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Ms Fee said the scale of the work involved in seeking information on the 31 historic incidents identified by the inquiry is 'extraordinary'. She noted that there will be variations on what is disclosed across the Secretary of State grouping, adding that there will 'inevitably' be material that cannot be disclosed in open but will still be provided to the inquiry chairman. In particular, she said there will only be a 'very limited amount' that UKIC can say in open. However, Ms Fee said the intelligence sector was 'engaging meaningfully' with the inquiry and undergoing 'an extremely difficult disclosure' exercise. She added that the Secretary of State grouping is not in a position to make an assessment on whether any concession is appropriate as the overall disclosure process and evidential picture is at 'an early stage'. 'The available information would result in an incomplete picture, and the risk of error is significant,' she said.
Irish Examiner
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Omagh inquiry told pace of disclosure ‘must increase'
The speed of disclosure to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry 'must increase', counsel to the proceedings has said. The Omagh Bombing Inquiry, chaired by Andrew Turnbull, is hearing opening statements from core participants including representatives of bereaved families, victims, the PSNI, and the secretary of state for Northern Ireland. The Real IRA bomb in the County Tyrone town in August 1998 killed 29 people, including a woman who was pregnant with twins, in the worst single atrocity in the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The public inquiry was set up by the previous government to examine whether the explosion could have been prevented by the British authorities. The opening statement section of the inquiry will take place over Monday and Tuesday. Earlier this year the inquiry heard personal statements from those affected by the massacre. Prior to the opening statements on Monday, Paul Greaney KC, counsel to the inquiry, told Mr Turnbull that the legal team had hoped that disclosure from relevant bodies would have been more advanced than it currently is. The public inquiry was set up by the previous government to examine whether the explosion could have been prevented by the British authorities. Here, Paul Greaney arrives at court. He further argued that there would be value in having at least one hearing to discuss progress of disclosure in September or October. 'The understandable consequence of the level of disclosure to core participants is that the opening statements of the bereaved families and survivors cannot be as detailed or evidence focused as they would have wished,' he said. Noting that the next stage of the inquiry will commence in March, he said: 'That gap of nine months between Chapter Two and Chapter Three is unfortunate, in our view.' He added: 'The simple fact is that the speed of disclosure to the inquiry by material providers must increase, and that is why we repeat the need for the state core participants and indeed all material providers to work at pace to fulfil the requirements of the inquiry and to ensure that the necessary resources, both human and financial, are dedicated to that work.' Mr Greaney noted that many documents exist only in hard copy and – even when held digitally – may take time to review and be disclosed. He offered three further general observations on proceedings. Mr Greaney stressed that the inquiry was not constrained by any other previous proceeding, investigation or review in its eventual findings. That comment came in advance of the written submission on behalf of Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn which contained a reference to the judicial review which led to the formation of the inquiry. 'Preventable' At that time, a judge accepted that four of 10 grounds under consideration gave rise to a plausible argument that the bombing was preventable. Addressing concerns raised by survivors and victims that relevant documentation will be declared 'missing', Mr Greaney said any such claim 'will be subject to the most intense scrutiny by the inquiry', including demands around information on the search efforts and expectations of material being recovered. He added that the inquiry would use its powers to ensure the fullest possible levels of disclosure. On the subject of candour, Mr Greaney said the inquiry expects openness and transparency from state core participants He said state core participants have not made any such concessions in their written opening statements and reminded them that they would be subject to scrutiny. Fiona Fee KC, for the Northern Ireland secretary, told the inquiry that 'a significant volume of work' has been undertaken in relation to inquiry disclosure. 'To explain the scope of the efforts, it's crucial to understand the extent of the materials involved,' she said. 'There is a vast volume of material which must be collated, carefully reviewed and provided to the inquiry. This process is not simply a matter of gathering readily available paperwork, it's an immense logistical undertaking requiring meticulous attention to detail, thorough analysis and a strategic, organised approach. Ms Fee said the Northern Ireland Secretary had offered sincere condolences to all those who had suffered as a result of the 'horrific terrorist atrocity' at Omagh. A number of organisations fall under the remit of the NI secretary as a core participant, including the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC), the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), the Cabinet Office (CO) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Ms Fee said the scale of the work involved in seeking information on the 31 historic incidents identified by the inquiry is 'extraordinary'. She noted that there will be variations on what is disclosed across the Secretary of State grouping, adding that there will 'inevitably' be material that cannot be disclosed in open but will still be provided to the inquiry chairman. In particular, she said there will only be a 'very limited amount' that UKIC can say in open. However, Ms Fee said the intelligence sector was 'engaging meaningfully' with the inquiry and undergoing 'an extremely difficult disclosure' exercise. She added that the Secretary of State grouping is not in a position to make an assessment on whether any concession is appropriate as the overall disclosure process and evidential picture is at 'an early stage'. 'The available information would result in an incomplete picture, and the risk of error is significant,' she said.
