LEGAL ACTION HISTORIC FOR BRITAIN
Legal action historic for Britain
THE victims of IRA violence are to take the largest civil action involving terrorism in UK history, by suing Libya for billions of dollars.
British and US lawyers are to launch the case in the American courts.
They are to sue Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime for sponsoring the IRA's 30-year murder campaign with millions of dollars and thousands of tonnes of weapons and Semtex.
London lawyer Jason McCue - solicitor to the Omagh families - and his company, H20, are among the brains behind the case.
The action is being taken in the US because:
*under exemptions from the US Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act 1997, a nation state can be taken to court
*US lawyers will take the case forward on a no-win, no-fee basis and foot the bill of around 15 million dollars
*America has not yet lifted all sanctions against Libya, which gives the legal team leverage over Gaddafi who may wish to settle the matter in order to improve US relations
*civil actions have a greater success rate in the US.
The case has to be filed by US citizens who were IRA victims or their relatives.
Non-Americans can then "piggy-back" on to the list of plaintiffs - another feature of US law.
A "spearhead" group of US and Ulster victims has been signed-up to start the legal process.
More victims from across Northern Ireland - potentially hundreds, even thousands - will have the opportunity to join in later.
THE victims of IRA violence are to take the largest civil action involving terrorism in UK history, by suing Libya for billions of dollars.
British and US lawyers are to launch the case in the American courts.
They are to sue Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime for sponsoring the IRA's 30-year murder campaign with millions of dollars and thousands of tonnes of weapons and Semtex.
London lawyer Jason McCue - solicitor to the Omagh families - and his company, H20, are among the brains behind the case.
The action is being taken in the US because:
*under exemptions from the US Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act 1997, a nation state can be taken to court
*US lawyers will take the case forward on a no-win, no-fee basis and foot the bill of around 15 million dollars
*America has not yet lifted all sanctions against Libya, which gives the legal team leverage over Gaddafi who may wish to settle the matter in order to improve US relations
*civil actions have a greater success rate in the US.
The case has to be filed by US citizens who were IRA victims or their relatives.
Non-Americans can then "piggy-back" on to the list of plaintiffs - another feature of US law.
A "spearhead" group of US and Ulster victims has been signed-up to start the legal process.
More victims from across Northern Ireland - potentially hundreds, even thousands - will have the opportunity to join in later.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/642
Published Date: 20-Mar-06
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