13 Dec Loughgall families call for immediate release of funding for Inquests
KRW LAW LLP is instructed by the families of the victims of the Loughgall Ambush in which eight of the members of the Provisional IRA and one civilian were shot by the British Army’s SAS on 8th May 1987.
The families and lawyers from KRW LAW LLP will attend the High Court in Belfast tomorrow in an application for a judicial review of a decision of the Stormont Executive and Assembly to withhold funding necessary to proceed with inquests into the Loughgall Ambush.
This application follows recent statements by the Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan on the same issue in his capacity as President of the Coroners Court: “it is impossible to see how the issue of Legacy can be moved forward politically without progress having been made on the new legislation and in the absence of a clear assessment of the costs involved in implementing all of the elements of a legacy package. The overall picture is, therefore, hugely disappointing.”[1]
In a statement on behalf of the Loughgall Campaign for Truth and Justice, the demand for funding has been made clear. Mairead Kelly said:
“We call for the immediate release on funding to progress with the Legacy Inquests. Once again the families are faced with political obstacles designed to keep the truth hidden from the families. We call on the politicians to exam the motivation behind the delay on the release of funding. Surely delaying the process that will advance the truth in these cases is nothing short of prolonging the torture that the relatives have endured over the last number of decades?
There is no justification whatsoever for the funding to be withheld. Whilst politicians argue, debate or simply ignore this issue families are forced to face more months and years waiting for the truth to be revealed.
We also dispute statements which seek to differentiate between victims and relatives. All relatives are equal in their quest for truth and justice. No relative is more deserving than another, we all want the truth and we all deserve the truth: there should be no hierarchy of the victims of the Conflict. If there is any justice at all politicians will end this disgraceful nonsense release the necessary funding and allow these inquests to proceed. Only then can families move towards some sense of resolution to the injustices that have occurred.
Tomorrow the families trust that justice will be served and that the Court will rule on this issue and enable the families to have the Inquests that were granted to us.”
Darragh Mackin of KRW LAW LLP commented:
“It is regrettably that once again the families of the bereaved have, after many years, to issue additional legal proceedings to ensure that the inquest into their family members is held in conjunction with human rights standards. It is concerning that this further road block within the coronial process comes on foot of the First Minister’s comments regarding her perception of an inequality with ‘innocent victims’. It is our clients’ case that this is an entirely baseless assertion in law, and is in fact both discriminatory and contradictory to our client’s human rights.”
Darragh Mackin, Solicitor,
KRW LAW
Tel: 07976070023
KRW LAW LLP
3rd The Sturgen Building
9 – 15 Queen Street
Belfast
BT1 6EA
Mairead Kelly,
Chairperson,
Loughgall Truth and Justice Campaign
Tel: 00353879889823