BOMB CASE IS LEGAL HISTORY
BOMB CASE IS LEGAL HISTORY
BY RONAN McSHERRY
r.mcsherry@ulsterherald.com
LEGAL history was made at the High Court in Belfast on Monday as six families of Omagh bomb victims began their bid to hold five dissident republicans responsible for the atrocity-Believing that it is unlikely anyone will ever be convicted in the criminal court for the death of the 31 people including unborn twins killed in the bombing, the families have sought recourse to a multi-million-pound civil action. The five men being sued - Michael McKevitt, Colm Murphy, Liam Campbell, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna - have strenuously denied any involvement in the carnage that devastated the lives of hundreds of people on the afternoon of August 15, 1998.
It is the first case of it kind anywhere in the world. The families have emphasised the case is not about money rather they believe this is their last chance for justice through the courts.
Godfrey Wilson, whose 15-year-old daughter Lorraine was one of those killed in the bombing, said, "This is about trying to finally uncover the truth about what happened. We need our day in court."
Also unprecedented in Irish legal history the judge, Mr Justice Declan Morgan will sit in Dublin for two weeks to hear testimony from 24 gardai officers. It will be first time a Northern judge will sit in any other jurisdiction to take evidence. The High Court in Belfast has been specially adapted for the hearing with three video screens installed along with cabinets to hold hundreds of files belonging to the legal teams for the case which is expected to last up to eight weeks.
Paying tribute to the families who brought the civil action to court, Lord Brennan QC said, "They never faltered in their resolve or their determination to pursue this to the end."
BY RONAN McSHERRY
r.mcsherry@ulsterherald.com
LEGAL history was made at the High Court in Belfast on Monday as six families of Omagh bomb victims began their bid to hold five dissident republicans responsible for the atrocity-Believing that it is unlikely anyone will ever be convicted in the criminal court for the death of the 31 people including unborn twins killed in the bombing, the families have sought recourse to a multi-million-pound civil action. The five men being sued - Michael McKevitt, Colm Murphy, Liam Campbell, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna - have strenuously denied any involvement in the carnage that devastated the lives of hundreds of people on the afternoon of August 15, 1998.
It is the first case of it kind anywhere in the world. The families have emphasised the case is not about money rather they believe this is their last chance for justice through the courts.
Godfrey Wilson, whose 15-year-old daughter Lorraine was one of those killed in the bombing, said, "This is about trying to finally uncover the truth about what happened. We need our day in court."
Also unprecedented in Irish legal history the judge, Mr Justice Declan Morgan will sit in Dublin for two weeks to hear testimony from 24 gardai officers. It will be first time a Northern judge will sit in any other jurisdiction to take evidence. The High Court in Belfast has been specially adapted for the hearing with three video screens installed along with cabinets to hold hundreds of files belonging to the legal teams for the case which is expected to last up to eight weeks.
Paying tribute to the families who brought the civil action to court, Lord Brennan QC said, "They never faltered in their resolve or their determination to pursue this to the end."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1934
Published Date: 10-Apr-08
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.