I have always been against the “Legacy and Reconciliation “ legislation now so worryingly passed into law. As I recall and to its credit the Labour opposition resisted its key provisions.
This morning after a little badgering my ageing and tired brain conjured up the name Nicholas Mercer (retired Lieutenant - Colonel and Senior Legal Adviser to the Army in N. Ireland at relevant times )where I continue to share his views on the subject.
Rather than laying into lawyers more or less always honourably and independently seeking redress for the many emotionally and otherwise damaged by still murky events, the MOD ought at the very least to examine the beam in its eye by way of obfuscation, withholding of evidence and otherwise delaying justifiable pursuit by ,in particular ,bereaved families. It has always seemed to me to be rich on its part to employ delaying strategies and THEN to complain about the age of alleged wrongs where that very antiquity has resulted from its own actions or inactions. After all that same MOD did, on the quiet, settle many such cases which we must surely infer were valid ones.
In researching Mr. Mercer just this morning I -frankly- stumbled across a Statement of February 15 2022 issued by Brian Dooley on behalf of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and reported upon by the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee very much on this general subject. I commend it to those who share my interest although far from necessarily my “take” on this general topic.
As the Statement asserts (inter alia) David Cameron has acknowledged that there had been extensive collusion and Sir Tony B did as I understand it make a promise to Pat Finucane’s family. Those are just two significant “rubbing points” amongst many and so very, very many families deserve closure (as no doubt do those of our armed forces where an approximation of the truth equally needs to be winkled out but then what is sauce for the goose……)
Legacy act under attack
I have always been against the “Legacy and Reconciliation “ legislation now so worryingly passed into law. As I recall and to its credit the Labour opposition resisted its key provisions.
This morning after a little badgering my ageing and tired brain conjured up the name Nicholas Mercer (retired Lieutenant - Colonel and Senior Legal Adviser to the Army in N. Ireland at relevant times )where I continue to share his views on the subject.
Rather than laying into lawyers more or less always honourably and independently seeking redress for the many emotionally and otherwise damaged by still murky events, the MOD ought at the very least to examine the beam in its eye by way of obfuscation, withholding of evidence and otherwise delaying justifiable pursuit by ,in particular ,bereaved families. It has always seemed to me to be rich on its part to employ delaying strategies and THEN to complain about the age of alleged wrongs where that very antiquity has resulted from its own actions or inactions. After all that same MOD did, on the quiet, settle many such cases which we must surely infer were valid ones.
In researching Mr. Mercer just this morning I -frankly- stumbled across a Statement of February 15 2022 issued by Brian Dooley on behalf of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and reported upon by the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee very much on this general subject. I commend it to those who share my interest although far from necessarily my “take” on this general topic.
As the Statement asserts (inter alia) David Cameron has acknowledged that there had been extensive collusion and Sir Tony B did as I understand it make a promise to Pat Finucane’s family. Those are just two significant “rubbing points” amongst many and so very, very many families deserve closure (as no doubt do those of our armed forces where an approximation of the truth equally needs to be winkled out but then what is sauce for the goose……)