HIGH COURT CHALLENGE TO OMAGH TV NAMES ROW RULING
High Court challenge to Omagh TV names row ruling
THE husband of a woman murdered in the Omagh bomb was today planning to make an 11th hour appeal to stop a television documentary due to be broadcast tonight about the atrocity. Lawrence Rushe, whose wife Libbi died in the blast, which claimed the lives of 29 people and unborn twins, is to challenge a judge's decision to let the BBC name Real IRA suspects allegedly to blame for the bombing.
Mr Rushe, who says the documentary could jeopardise future trials, is hoping to appeal against its screening in the High Court in Belfast.
He said: "No one can tell me this trial by television is the way to go. It will let those involved escape justice."
The bomb which devastated the Co Tyrone town centre on August 15,1998, was the worst single loss of life in any incident in 30 years of terrorist violence in Northern Ireland. It sparked a massive cross-border inquiry by the RUC and the Garda.
But, despite thousands of people being questioned only one man, Colm Murphy, from Dundalk, has been charged with conspiracy to cause an explosion. His case is ongoing. Detectives have said they were certain they knew the identities of the bombers but did not have the evidence to bring them to court. Relatives of the dead, many of whom want the suspects publicly named, have just re-lived the harrowing details of the bombing at an inquest which lasted several weeks. Panorama reporter John Ware has confronted several people living in the border counties of the Republic who were quizzed by police about the attack.
Each failed to explain their movements on the day of the bomb or their connections with mobile phones that were tracked in and out of Omagh.
BBC head of news Tony Hall insisted the decision to name the suspects was in the public interest.
"We are most thankful to the families of the victims and the police who have contributed to the programme, and we hope broadcasting our investigation will result in new evidence coming to light," he said.
But Professor Brice Dickson, who heads the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, has warned those named in the documentary could challenge the BBC under the European Convention of Human Rights, which became law in the UK last week.
THE husband of a woman murdered in the Omagh bomb was today planning to make an 11th hour appeal to stop a television documentary due to be broadcast tonight about the atrocity. Lawrence Rushe, whose wife Libbi died in the blast, which claimed the lives of 29 people and unborn twins, is to challenge a judge's decision to let the BBC name Real IRA suspects allegedly to blame for the bombing.
Mr Rushe, who says the documentary could jeopardise future trials, is hoping to appeal against its screening in the High Court in Belfast.
He said: "No one can tell me this trial by television is the way to go. It will let those involved escape justice."
The bomb which devastated the Co Tyrone town centre on August 15,1998, was the worst single loss of life in any incident in 30 years of terrorist violence in Northern Ireland. It sparked a massive cross-border inquiry by the RUC and the Garda.
But, despite thousands of people being questioned only one man, Colm Murphy, from Dundalk, has been charged with conspiracy to cause an explosion. His case is ongoing. Detectives have said they were certain they knew the identities of the bombers but did not have the evidence to bring them to court. Relatives of the dead, many of whom want the suspects publicly named, have just re-lived the harrowing details of the bombing at an inquest which lasted several weeks. Panorama reporter John Ware has confronted several people living in the border counties of the Republic who were quizzed by police about the attack.
Each failed to explain their movements on the day of the bomb or their connections with mobile phones that were tracked in and out of Omagh.
BBC head of news Tony Hall insisted the decision to name the suspects was in the public interest.
"We are most thankful to the families of the victims and the police who have contributed to the programme, and we hope broadcasting our investigation will result in new evidence coming to light," he said.
But Professor Brice Dickson, who heads the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, has warned those named in the documentary could challenge the BBC under the European Convention of Human Rights, which became law in the UK last week.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0761
Published Date: 09-Oct-00
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