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Irish Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Family of murdered GAA official to continue legal battle for public inquiry
The family of murdered GAA official Seán Brown have said they will take their fight for a public inquiry to the supreme court after it was again ruled out by the UK government. In a letter to Mr Brown's 87-year-old widow, Bridie, seen by The Irish Times, Northern Secretary, Hilary Benn said 'an inquiry under the Inquiries Act is not the best way to proceed'. A mandatory order given by the court of appeal in Belfast earlier this year found the UK government breached its human rights obligation to investigate the full extent of state collusion in the case and its refusal to order a public inquiry into Mr Brown's murder was unlawful and 'cannot stand'. Mr Benn has sought leave to challenge the court of appeal judgment in the supreme court, and a decision is pending. READ MORE [ Seán Brown family say decision to challenge inquiry ruling 'shameful' Opens in new window ] In a statement, the Brown family said 'this formal decision to appeal our case to the supreme court in London is a shameless defiance of the rule of law and represents utter contempt for the highest court in this jurisdiction. 'Our mother directly pleaded with Hilary Benn not to trail her to London, we asked him to respect the court and to do what the courts had directed him to do. 'We will regroup and regalvanise and will contest our family's entitlement to a public inquiry, as directed by five judges.' Mr Brown, a father of six, was locking the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA club in Co Derry when he was abducted and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries in 1997. No one has ever been convicted of the 61-year-old's killing. Last year it emerged that up to 25 people, some of whom were state agents, were linked through intelligence to the murder. In his letter to Mrs Brown, the Northern Secretary acknowledged he 'cannot, of course, now act on any decision that is inconsistent with the mandatory order of the court of appeal' but said he had 'considered what my preferred course of action would be, in the absence of a mandatory order'. He said he had 'weighed again a number of factors', including the views of the Brown family and that of many court judgments, 'important public interest factors' and issues of time and cost. 'I am committed to a process that is fair, transparent and – crucially – allows the greatest possible disclosure of information, whilst ensuring that proportionate safeguards remain in place to protect the security of the State,' he wrote. Mr Benn said reforms he intended to bring forward meant the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) – the investigative body set up under the UK government's controversial Legacy Act – would be able to 'complete the full and independent investigation that you seek, in a form comparable to the 2005 Inquiries Act'. This was rejected by the Brown family, which said recent news reports 'that the ICRIR is an organisation stacked with former RUC and soldiers further confirms our sincere belief that the ICRIR is infrastructurally prohibited from being able to get to the truth of what happened to our father. 'Despite this, the secretary of state has yet again proposed that we engage with this discredited body.' The solicitor for the Brown family, Niall Murphy, said that 'in once again refusing to convene a public inquiry the secretary of state has refused to take account of the widespread public revulsion at the failure to provide the answers the Brown family has been asking for more than 28 years. 'Equally significantly, the secretary of state continues to defy the judicial decisions of the coroner, the judicial review court and the court of appeal, the highest court in this jurisdiction. 'Despite all its public pronouncements, this Labour government by its actions continues to demonstrate that it does not recognise or believe in the rule of law, their treatment of the Brown family has been contemptible. 'By contrast, the Brown family are now ready and determined to vindicate their rights in the supreme court, the highest court of law in the UK,' he said. Following a meeting with the Brown family last month, the Tánaiste, Simon Harris , praised their 'enormous strength in pursuing this case' and said he would 'continue to use my influence and that of the Irish Government to bring about a resolution that is acceptable to the Brown family. They have waited too long,' he said.
Irish Examiner
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Tánaiste Simon Harris meets with family of Seán Brown
The family of a murdered GAA official has held a meeting with Irish deputy premier Simon Harris as part of a campaign for a public inquiry into his death. It comes after the British government confirmed it will seek a Supreme Court appeal over a court ruling that ordered it to hold a public inquiry into the killing of Seán Brown. Mr Brown, 61, the chairman of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA Club in Co Derry, was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997. Simon Harris speaking to Sean Brown's widow Bridie Brown (Niall Carson/PA) No-one has ever been convicted of his killing. Preliminary inquest proceedings last year heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents. It had also been alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning. Appeal Court judges in Belfast affirmed an earlier High Court ruling compelling the Government to hold a public inquiry. It said the failure to hold such a probe was unlawful. However, the Northern Ireland Secretary contends the case involves a key constitutional principle of who should order public inquiries, the Government or the judiciary. Speaking on the family's way into the meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin, Mr Brown's daughter Siobhan said: 'Today marks the 28th anniversary of our father Seán Brown's murder. 'We are very appreciative of the Tánaiste to take the time to meet with us as a family. 'We're now at the stage that we're looking for political support to back up the five High Court judges in the north of Ireland calling for a public inquiry into our father's murder.' Speaking alongside her sister Claire and their mother Bridie, she added: 'We hope he will give us that support that we require, that there will be a public inquiry and he will put pressure on the British Government to grant us a public inquiry into our father's murder.' GAA president Jarlath Burns is among those supporting the family, telling reporters it was important to keep the issue in the public eye. Read More Gardaí tell murder trial how they found Tina Satchwell's remains under the stairs of her home
