The Court of Appeal in Belfast has ruled that the UK government’s refusal to hold a public inquiry into the murder of GAA official Sean Brown is unlawful. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has been given four weeks to reconsider the matter. Sean Brown was abducted from outside a GAA club in Bellaghy, County Londonderry, and driven to Randalstown, in County Antrim, where he was shot six times in the head. Intelligence material has linked state agents to the 61-year-old’s murder by the Loyalist Volunteer Force in 1997.
Mr Brown’s widow Bridie spoke out after the court hearing, stating that denying a public inquiry breached her rights. She urged the Northern Ireland secretary of state to do the right thing, emphasizing that five judges had issued a clear directive. Mr Brown’s daughter Clare expressed satisfaction with the judgment, highlighting that the legal framework had provided a clear roadmap for the next steps. She urged the secretary of state to adhere to the directives given by the court.
The government initiated a legal challenge to overturn the court’s decision to order a public inquiry into Mr. Brown’s murder. Mr. Brown was tragically kidnapped from the gates of GAA club Bellaghy Wolfe Tones by the Loyalist Volunteer Force. Last year, a court revealed that more than 25 people, including state agents, were connected to Mr. Brown’s murder through intelligence material. A coroner previously halted Mr. Brown’s inquest due to national security concerns and redactions in intelligence material, preventing a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the killing. In response, the High Court mandated Secretary Hilary Benn to establish a public inquiry to shed light on the case
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
