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BBC News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
ICRIR: Troubles investigation group makes first witness appeal
An investigations body set up under the controversial Legacy Act has appealed for witnesses over two separate deaths during the is the first public appeal for information by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) since it began operating in May Carson, 47, was found dead at a roadside in west Belfast in Marchant, a member of the UVF, died aged 39 after being shot by the IRA in Belfast in 1987. Posters and leaflet drops will be organised as part of the appeals for assistant commissioner Amanda Logan said any information would be treated in the "strictest confidence" and could be "vital to finding the truth for the families"."We have always underlined the commission's unwavering commitment to helping families find the unvarnished truth and this is at the centre of our witness appeals," she said."These families have waited many years for answers and we at the commission are committed to doing everything we can to support them." What is the ICRIR? The ICRIR was established to investigate deaths during Northern Ireland's decades-long conflict known as the some victims' groups have called for it to be scrapped, arguing it is not sufficiently body was set up under the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) legislation was passed by the Conservative government in 2023 despite opposition from Labour, Stormont parties, several victims' groups and the Irish introduced a ban on inquests and civil actions related to incidents during the act's most controversial element - the offer of conditional immunity to suspects in exchange for co-operating with the ICRIR - was disapplied following legal action by bereaved Labour government plans to repeal the Legacy Act, but retain the Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn described this as a "pragmatic decision".The ICRIR has said that as of December, 120 people had approached the commission to begin 30 cases so far have been listed on its website as moving to an "information recovery" phase. Who was Teresa Carson? Teresa Carson was found dead in the early hours of 24 November 1974 at the side of the Glen Road in west Belfast, close to the junction with Shaws is believed the 47-year-old attended St John's Gaelic Athletic Club Social Club on Whiterock Road the previous evening and was a witness to a robbery at the was last seen in the grounds of the club shortly after midnight on 24 November getting into a white car. Who was William Marchant? William Marchant, known to his family as Billy and more widely as Frenchie, was a leading member of loyalist paramilitary group the was shot by the IRA outside the offices of the Progressive Unionist Party on the Shankill Road in west Belfast on 28 April 39-year-old later died at the Mater Hospital.A brown Datsun Bluebird car with the registration YOI 2557 was used in the car had been hijacked earlier in the day after a family was held at gunpoint overnight at Tullymore Gardens in west is believed to have been driven away from the scene on Shankill Road via Bellevue Street and was found on fire later that evening on Springfield Avenue.
RTÉ News
16 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Appeal for witnesses in two deaths during Troubles
The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) in Northern Ireland has appealed for witnesses to come forward in relation to two investigations following requests from the victims' families. They relate to the deaths of two people in Belfast in the seventies and eighties. Teresa Carson was found dead at the side of the Glen Road in November 1974. She was 47 years old. William Marchant was shot on the Shankill Road in April 1987 and later died in hospital. He was 39 years old. In both cases the families who lost their loved one came to the Commission seeking the truth about what happened. Last seen getting into a white coloured car Teresa Carson was found dead at 12.40am on Sunday, 24 November 1974 at the side of the Glen Road close to the junction with the Shaw's Road. It is thought that Ms Carson attended St John's GAC Social Club on the Whiterock Road and that she was a witness to a robbery at the club. She was last seen in the grounds of the club at 12.15am on Sunday, 24 November 1974, getting into a white coloured car. William Marchant, known to his family as Billy and more widely as Frenchie, was shot outside the PUP offices on the Shankill Road at approximately 3pm on Tuesday, 28 April 1987. He later died at the Mater Hospital. Datsun Bluebird Car used in attack A brown, Datsun Bluebird car, registration number YOI 2557, was used in the attack. The car had been hijacked earlier in the day after a family was held at gunpoint overnight in Tullymore Gardens in west Belfast. It is thought that the car was driven away from the scene on the Shankill Road via Bellevue Street and was found on fire later that evening on Springfield Avenue. Launching the witness appeals today, it was said it would involve distributing posters and organised leaflet drops in the areas relating to both investigations. Assistant Commissioner Amanda Logan is leading the Investigations team and is urging anyone with information to come forward to help the families involved. "Today our thoughts are very much with the families of Teresa Carson and William Marchant. They have come to the Commission and asked us to help them find out what happened to their loved one. "We have always underlined the Commission's unwavering commitment to helping families find the unvarnished truth and this is at the centre of our witness appeals," she said. Relatives believe 'someone may hold vital information' "The relatives of Teresa Carson and William Marchant believe that someone may hold vital information that could prove key to the investigations." The Assistant Commissioner added :"These families have waited many years for answers and we at the Commission are committed to doing everything we can to support them. If members of the public have any information about either of these cases, please come forward. "No matter how unimportant your information may seem, what you share could be vital to finding the truth for the families. All information we receive will be treated in the strictest confidence." The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) is the central plank of the UK government's controversial Act to deal with the legacy of the troubles. The Commission was established by the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation Act) 2023 and in operation since last year. It has the remit to investigate hundreds of unresolved legacy deaths and cases of serious harm which happened before the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
The Independent
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Series of public inquiries on Troubles incidents ‘not the way forward'
The legacy of Northern Ireland's past is not going to be dealt with by a series of public inquiries, Secretary of State Hilary Benn has said. He came under questioning over the Government's handling of legacy cases during a meeting of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on Monday. Mr Benn insisted that a reformed Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) will be able to deal with the cases. The body led by Sir Declan Morgan, a former lord chief justice for Northern Ireland, was set up by the former government's Legacy Act after scores of legacy inquests and other court cases relating to the Troubles were halted. The Kingsmill massacre and the Guildford pub bombings are among cases it is currently looking at. Mr Benn told MPs they are working to change disclosure arrangements and to make it compliant with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. 'In the end, we're not going to deal with legacy with a whole series of public inquiries,' he said. 'We're doing all this work to try and create a body which is capable of delivering justice for all, information for all, answers for all. 'That is what I am trying to do at the moment because of the incompatibilities identified.' He was asked about his decision not to call a public inquiry into the circumstances around the murder of GAA official Sean Brown in 1997. In May the UK Government confirmed it will seek a Supreme Court appeal over a court ruling that ordered it to hold a public inquiry into Mr Brown's murder. The 61-year-old then-chairman of Wolfe Tones GAA Club in the Co Londonderry town of Bellaghy was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997. No-one has ever been convicted of his killing. Preliminary inquest proceedings last year heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents. It was also alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning. Asked about Mr Brown's case, Mr Benn told MPs: 'It's an awful, awful case. 'The murder of Sean Brown was shocking, deeply violent, and this has caused immense suffering to the family, to his widow Bridie and to the wider community, including the GAA family, because of the role that he undertook. 'But I came to the conclusion that the commission reformed would be capable of looking into it, and there's an issue of principle here in respect to the court ruling. 'Up until this moment, the courts accepted that it is for governments to decide whether public inquiries are ordered, not for the courts. 'What the courts have tended to say is, this is the test that has to be met, the way in which the government chooses to meet that test is a matter for governments to decide. 'There is a margin of appreciation that is made available. 'In this particular case, the court has decided to order a public inquiry. 'We're seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court because of that fundamental principle, which is, courts do not order public inquiries, governments do, and that is very important because of the nature of the mandatory order I am not able to do anything else other than order a public inquiry, which I made it clear that the Government is not going to do, because I believe there's another means of dealing with this case.' Mr Benn said there are five other cases that are in the same position. 'People say the Sean Brown case is unique. All murders are unique and uniquely painful for the family, but it is not a unique case,' he said. 'This is not a unique case, and I would also say we are not going to deal with legacy by having a whole series of public inquiries. 'That is not a way forward. That is why we have to make the reform of the commission to win public confidence. 'To make it ECHR compliant is so important because then you have a mechanism that you can use to deal with all of them and all of us, the committee, the whole team, everybody needs to be concerned about justice for everyone.' He added: 'It is open to the Brown family to go to the commission today, the commission will start work on investigating.'
The Herald Scotland
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Series of public inquiries on Troubles incidents ‘not the way forward'
Mr Benn insisted that a reformed Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) will be able to deal with the cases. Campaigners outside Belfast High Court during a challenge to the Legacy Act (Brian Lawless/PA) The body led by Sir Declan Morgan, a former lord chief justice for Northern Ireland, was set up by the former government's Legacy Act after scores of legacy inquests and other court cases relating to the Troubles were halted. The Kingsmill massacre and the Guildford pub bombings are among cases it is currently looking at. Mr Benn told MPs they are working to change disclosure arrangements and to make it compliant with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. 'In the end, we're not going to deal with legacy with a whole series of public inquiries,' he said. 'We're doing all this work to try and create a body which is capable of delivering justice for all, information for all, answers for all. 'That is what I am trying to do at the moment because of the incompatibilities identified.' He was asked about his decision not to call a public inquiry into the circumstances around the murder of GAA official Sean Brown in 1997. In May the UK Government confirmed it will seek a Supreme Court appeal over a court ruling that ordered it to hold a public inquiry into Mr Brown's murder. Supporters of the family of GAA official Sean Brown, with widow Bridie Brown (centre), daughter Clare Loughran (left) and daughter Siobhan Brown (right) (Liam McBurney/PA) The 61-year-old then-chairman of Wolfe Tones GAA Club in the Co Londonderry town of Bellaghy was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997. No-one has ever been convicted of his killing. Preliminary inquest proceedings last year heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents. It was also alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning. Asked about Mr Brown's case, Mr Benn told MPs: 'It's an awful, awful case. 'The murder of Sean Brown was shocking, deeply violent, and this has caused immense suffering to the family, to his widow Bridie and to the wider community, including the GAA family, because of the role that he undertook. 'But I came to the conclusion that the commission reformed would be capable of looking into it, and there's an issue of principle here in respect to the court ruling. 'Up until this moment, the courts accepted that it is for governments to decide whether public inquiries are ordered, not for the courts. 'What the courts have tended to say is, this is the test that has to be met, the way in which the government chooses to meet that test is a matter for governments to decide. 'There is a margin of appreciation that is made available. 'In this particular case, the court has decided to order a public inquiry. 'We're seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court because of that fundamental principle, which is, courts do not order public inquiries, governments do, and that is very important because of the nature of the mandatory order I am not able to do anything else other than order a public inquiry, which I made it clear that the Government is not going to do, because I believe there's another means of dealing with this case.' Mr Benn said there are five other cases that are in the same position. 'People say the Sean Brown case is unique. All murders are unique and uniquely painful for the family, but it is not a unique case,' he said. 'This is not a unique case, and I would also say we are not going to deal with legacy by having a whole series of public inquiries. 'That is not a way forward. That is why we have to make the reform of the commission to win public confidence. 'To make it ECHR compliant is so important because then you have a mechanism that you can use to deal with all of them and all of us, the committee, the whole team, everybody needs to be concerned about justice for everyone.' He added: 'It is open to the Brown family to go to the commission today, the commission will start work on investigating.'
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Secretary of state rejects DUP 'hapless' claim over legacy
The secretary of state has dismissed claims by the DUP that he is keeping victims and some parties "in the dark" over his government's plans to change how Troubles legacy cases are handled. Hilary Benn was responding to remarks by DUP leader Gavin Robinson, who described his approach as "hapless". London and Dublin have been in talks for some time about trying to find a joint way forward, with the two governments meeting on Thursday during the British-Irish Council to discuss the latest developments. Benn said he made "no apology" for working with the Irish government and others to try and reach a solution. The DUP said by Benn meeting Tánaiste (Irish deputy PM) Simon Harris, he had "dishonoured" victims who were concerned about the Irish government's own approach to dealing with the legacy of the past. Labour intends to retain a new legacy body set up under the legislation - the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). A number of victims' groups have called for the ICRIR to be scrapped, arguing it is not sufficiently independent to investigate killings during Northern Ireland's decades-long conflict. Dublin maintains a legal challenge against the UK government over the legacy act, but Harris has said he believes a deal can still be reached to allow his government to drop that case. The DUP leader said: "Last night, Hilary Benn disgracefully continued his desire to satisfy the Irish Government, seeking their approval for his actions. "In meeting Simon Harris to negotiate next steps, he dishonours the countless victims in Northern Ireland that I have met over recent months who lament that whilst he may listen, he does not hear." He also accused Dublin of having a "scandalous approach" to legacy. "The Irish continue to ruthlessly defend their sovereign information, yet Hilary Benn concedes their unconstitutional role in determining how the UK deals with ours," said Robinson. "The Irish government have knowledge of and influence upon UK legacy plans, yet Northern Ireland victims, veterans and Parliamentarians are kept in the dark by the secretary of state without so much as a blush on his face." Speaking at the British-Irish Council, Benn said legacy remained "unfinished business" and that all politicians had a responsibility to find a way forward. "We are making good progress... the lesson indeed exemplified by the Good Friday Agreement is that we make most progress when we work together."
