03 Feb CAROLINE MORELAND – JUDICIAL REVIEW TO BE HEARD TODAY
For years it has also been known that the British Security Services t – specifically the agencies of the RUC Special Branch, MI5 and the Force Reconnaissance Unit (FRU) handled agents infiltrated into the PIRA including ‘Stakeknife’, now widely recognised as Freddie Scappaticci.
We represent a number of relatives of victims who were murdered by the PIRA Internal Security Team known as “The Nutting Squad” which headed by alleged British informer and agent Freddie Scappaticci – Stakeknife. It is believed that Scappaticci and The Nutting Squad were responsible for at least 24 murders during the Conflict and that the activities of Scappaticci possibly extended to the early years of the PSNI.
The activities of Scappaticci during the Conflict engage serious allegations of collusion with agencies of the British Security Forces. The victims of Scappaticci included the mother of our client Marc Moreland – Caroline Moreland. Today in the High Court in Belfast a judicial review applied for by Marc Moreland on behalf of his mother Caroline Moreland will be heard.
Caroline Moreland was murdered by The Nutting Squad in 1994 because she was an alleged informer against the PIRA. The role of Stakeknife in this murder has now come under scrutiny following a direction by the DPP to the PSNI to conduct an independent investigation into the activities and handling of Stakeknife. No one was prosecuted at the time of Caroline Moreland’s murder.
On behalf of Marc Moreland, KRW LAW LLP applied for a judicial review of the PSNI on the basis that the investigation into the activities and handling of Stakeknife, including the murder of Caroline Moreland, should be conducted in a manner compliant with the human standards demanded when there has been a violation of Article 2 – the right to life – of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Leave was granted on the basis that there was an arguable case that there is sufficient material to meet the required test of evidence which could lead to a prosecution – that will be basis of the arguments before the High Court today. Kevin Winters said this morning:
“We now expect that the nefarious activities of Stakeknife, his crimes and his employers – the British government – will now be independently investigated and held to account in a manner consistent with human rights standards and the Rule of Law following the hearing in this judicial review application today.”