Former PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde has said he is "still furious" about the 2014 closure of the Historical Enquiries Team (HET), which he said should have been allowed to complete its work. In an interview with The Irish Times, the former police chief, who stood down in 2009, challenged the f
Legacy Inquests
A key Westminster committee has called for a 10-year "qualified statute of limitations" to protect former and serving soldiers from investigation and prosecution for alleged offences, including alleged murders of civilians in Northern Ireland. In a report published today, the defence select committe
The Chief Constable of the PSNI has lost an appeal against the decision that the brother of a 13-year-old boy who was murdered in 1976 had a legitimate expectation that an overarching investigation into collusion would be carried out by an independent police team. Stating that it was the Chief Const
The UK Government has published a summary of responses to the consultation on the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The summary document has been produced after analysis of over 17,000 responses to the consultation, which was launched last May and ran until September.
Gardaí would be allowed to give evidence at legacy inquests in Northern Ireland under proposed laws. The Cabinet is acting on proposals to provide a “concrete assurance” that the Government is committed to “full implementation of the legacy mechanisms” detailed in the
An inquest into the death of Daniel Carson, a young Catholic who was murdered as he left work near the lower Shankill in 1973, has found that the investigation into his death was “flawed and inadequate”. Finding that there was “compelling and credible evidence” that the gunma
Preliminary hearings into legacy cases will take place this September to establish their readiness for full inquest proceedings, the presiding coroner has announced. Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan today held a listing of all the outstanding legacy inquests to provide an update on the work that is being
A landmark ruling on legacy investigations is set to be appealed by the PSNI, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). The Court of Appeal in Belfast ruled last month that the Chief Constable of the PSNI had not demonstrated the independence of the Legacy Investigation
Lawyers for a man who was shot dead by British soldiers in 1978 have welcomed a decision to hold a fresh inquest into the shooting. Patrick Duffy, 50, was killed by British soldiers in Derry on 24 November 1978. An inquest in 1980 found that he had been shot between 11 and 14 times.
The Council of Europe has reiterated its "serious concerns" about the delays in establishing the Historical Investigations Unit and other legacy institutions dealing with deaths during the Troubles. The Council's Committee of Ministers examined the issue during its latest regular review of the imple
Any law brought in to protect British security forces from prosecution for crimes committed during the Troubles would be too late for the Bloody Sunday soldiers, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is due to announce this Thursday whether it will prosecu
Pearse Jordan’s mother has successfully appealed the decision of the Court of Appeal to order a stay on her application for damages for the state’s failure to carry out a prompt investigation into the circumstances of her son’s death, in violation of Article 2 ECHR. Finding that th
The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI) has called on the Department of Justice to launch a review into police failures to disclose "significant" evidence related to legacy cases to the watchdog. Dr Michael Maguire said his investigators had identified significant, sensitive information, so
Inquests for the victims of the Guildford pub bombing should restart more than 40 years after they were suspended, a coroner has ruled. Five people were killed on 5 October 1974 when two bombs were detonated by the IRA at two Guildford pubs. Four people, known as the “Guildford Four”, we
A man whose son was murdered in 1997 has successfully appealed a case management decision not to remove a stay on the hearing of his application to issue judicial review proceedings against the PSNI, the Department of Justice, and the Coroner’s Service. The Court of Appeal said that a comment