IN/0701

Omagh claim may be a 'one-way street'

THE Omagh bomb victims' £14 million civil claim could end up being a one-way street, it emerged in the High Court in Belfast yesterday.
Only three of the five defendants have entered a legal defence, and continuing representation by their lawyers is in doubt because of difficulties over free legal aid.
If the Legal Services Commission refuses to pay the defendants' legal bills, then the evidence against them may go unchallenged.
Mr Justice Higgins was told that Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell and Seamus McKenna have already been refused legal aid.
McKevitt, alleged leader of the RIRA which carried out the atrocity, is challenging the decision and his application for leave to apply for a judicial review is due to be heard on Monday.
Lord Brennan QC, for the plaintiffs, said the trial of the action was already fixed for next January and it was in the interests of justice that decisions were taken soon about legal aid.
Mr Justice Higgins said the court would like to be kept up to date about the legal aid position, and in the meantime adjourned the hearing until September to decide whether American 'superspy' David Rupert will be allowed to give evidence by video-link, because of fears that he would be killed if he attended court in Belfast.