New Lodge Six – Attorney General directs fresh inquests
Campbell and Beatty families welcome decision of Attorney General to direct fresh inquest into New Lodge Six
The next of kin of Anthony Campbell and Ambrose Hardy have welcomed the decision of the Attorney General, Brenda King, to direct a fresh inquest into their deaths.
Speaking today on the announcement of a new inquest into the killings, Gary Duffy of KRW LAW said,
“This is momentous news for all of the families who have fought tirelessly over decades to get this news. It’s important to note that today’s decision comes against a background of intense litigation. Ongoing Judicial Review challenges by the Campbell and Beatty families will now be reassessed in light of this direction.
This includes the High Court challenge examining ongoing failures to have an independent criminal investigation into the murders which is due for hearing later this year.
We will now write to the Attorney General’s office asking for immediate prioritisation of this inquest given both the elderly age of the next of kin and the fact that this was one of the earliest atrocities of the Conflict. So often we have seen families hopes of access to justice evaporate because of the systemic chronic delays in getting inquests to hearing.
On behalf of the families we represent we want to thank the work of supporting NGOs Relative for Justice and indeed the staff of the Attorney General’s office who recognised the merit in the submissions.”