Latest news with #UKLegacyAct
RTÉ News
7 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
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.
RTÉ News
7 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Daughter of Denis Donaldson calls for public inquiry into his killing
The daughter of Denis Donaldson, who was shot dead in Donegal in 2006 months after admitting being an informer for the police and MI5 over two decades, has called for a public inquiry into his killing. The call comes following a successful defamation action taken by former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams. Mr Adams said he was defamed in a 2016 Spotlight programme and a subsequent online article, which he said falsely claimed that he sanctioned the killing of former senior Sinn Féin official Denis Donaldson. In a statement, Jane Donaldson said her father's murder and surrounding circumstances devastated her family. "We are still no closer to the truth. "No-one spoke for my family in court. "We supported neither side in this case. "The jury heard sensitive, privileged family information tossed around without our consent, but did not hear my testimony," Ms Donaldson said. She said an inquest into her father's killing has been postponed 27 times and a garda investigation into his murder has "been used to deny my family access to justice for 19 years". She said this was in "stark contrast" to the "limitless legal resources and vast expense" invested in the defamation case. Speaking outside the Four Courts after the ruling, Mr Adams said he was very mindful of the Donaldson family during the course of the trial. "I'm very mindful of the Donaldson family in the course of this long trial, and indeed of the victims' families who have had to watch all of this, and I want to say that the Justice Minister, Jim O'Callaghan, should meet the family of Denis Donaldson as quickly as possible. He also "there is an onus on both governments and everyone else - and I include myself in this - to try and deal with these legacy issues as best as we can". In her statement, Ms Donaldson said her family was being "stonewalled" while the defamation case concluded. She also said that the "UK Legacy Act disqualifies my daddy's murder from being 'troubles related'." The public interest can "only now be fully served by some form of public inquiry, with a cross-border dimension", she added.
