British govt must hold inquiry into Brown murder - court | Breaking News & Latest Ireland Updates

British govt must hold inquiry into Brown murder - court — Northern Correspondent The Northern Ireland Appeal Court has affirmed an order that the British government must hold a public inquiry into the 1997 mu...

Northern Correspondent

The Northern Ireland Appeal Court has affirmed an order that the British government must hold a public inquiry into the 1997 murder of GAA official Sean Brown.

It had already ruled that not convening one was illegal. Today, it backed the decision of the High Court that one must be held.

It said it would allow four weeks before the order becomes operational on 2 June.

The Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has already signalled his intention to appeal the case to the UK Supreme Court.

He had asked the Appeal Court for a further four weeks to make a decision.

The Brown family were in court for the ruling today.

Earlier, Des Fahy KC, for the Brown family, said they were "vigorously opposing" any extension of time for the Northern Secretary.

"Seeking a further four weeks is only heaping further delay on the delay that has existed in the 28 years since the murder."

He said there was "no confidence" additional time would provide a credible option other than a public inquiry.

And he urged the Court of Appeal to "follow through" on its ruling last month and make an order compelling Mr Benn to convene a public inquiry.

"The Brown family position is that if the Secretary of State wants to appeal this to the Supreme Court he should get on with it," Mr Fahy said.

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Tony McGleenan KC, for the Northern Secretary, said if more time was not granted he would invite the Court of Appeal to dismiss the government’s application to overturn the High Court order to establish a public inquiry - something he said was not "constitutionally appropriate".

He said that would allow the government to "move swiftly" to the Supreme Court.

The Court of Appeal affirmed the order of the High Court to convene a public inquiry. But it delayed the operation of the order for four weeks.

Mr Brown, 61, the chairman of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA club in Co Derry, 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 had also been 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.