Finucane
After Finucane, “a new disaster waiting to happen, ” warns Justice lobby group. But why not a new inquest?
Tweet The de Silva report presents a challenge to the legal establishment and others in Northern Ireland over how to proceed in the light of the UK government’s refusal to hold a public inquiry. Accountability concerns are not confined to history. They remain a live issue today since the devolution of policing and justice. One [...] more »
Finucane controversy won’t die down
Tweet Continuing demands for a “full independent international inquiry” into the murder of Pat Finucane are unlikely to be stilled to allow police and prosecuting authorities to consider what to. From their reactions yesterday we can be certain that unionist politicians will characterise the prominence given to the case as “one sided justice” and will [...] more »
#Finucane: this report is a sham, this report is a whitewash
Tweet So now we’ve had the publication of the latest report into the killing of Pat Finuance in 1989 courtsey of Rt Hon Desmond de Silva QC (full text here). The surprise that David Cameron articulated in the Commons today, much like with Saville, is merely the formal admission of what has long been accepted by most other [...] more »
Finucane: facts we need to know updated
Tweet In the light of David Cameron’s statement, to keep my head above water in the flood of information and angry comment I itemise questions of fact I‘d like to keep sight of. Perhaps others can add to them. Update I intend to add to the list myself as I plough through the review [...] more »
De Silva report reveals that 85% of UDA intelligence in late 70s sourced in state material.
Tweet Cameron’s just delivered the headline findings of the Finucane inquiry. Some of it is frankly, shocking. The details of the killing itself is less shocking (only because we’ve become so familiar) than some of the wider contextual information. The thing that stunned me was the fact that 85% of the intelligence held by the [...] more »
Cameron’s decision on Finucane case insults family, betrays us all
Tweet When a lawyer is murdered in any country, it should be a matter of great public concern, seen rightly as an attack on the entire legal system. When there is clear evidence pointing towards the collusion of a range of agents of the State in that murder, then the mood should become one of [...] more »
Last major inquiry into the Troubles now in prospect
Tweet Owen Paterson has quietly made two of the most significant announcements of his term as NI Secretary, however long it lasts. The verdict on holding a Finucane Inquiry will come in the New Year. The fact that the family appear not to have rejected his publicly undisclosed proposals out of hand this time suggests [...] more »
Finucane result “soon” as Woodward attacks coalition for slow progress on legacy
Tweet This a full report of the Saville debate and replaces Woodward’s bombshell The unlikely figure of Shaun Woodward has torn open the smooth surface of Westminster consensus by launching an attack on his successor for dilatoriness in tackling the legacy of the Troubles. Despite his criticisms and and government protestations they were moving as fast as [...] more »
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Books
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The Earl Bishop
Tweet Interesting BBC article on an upcoming presentation and talk [Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, 17 August] by lecturer and broadcaster Stephen Price on the subject of his new book – The Earl Bishop. The 18th Century ”Earl Bishop” was Frederick Augustus Hervey, fourth Earl of Bristol and Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry. Hervey was also [...] read our review »
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The First Shades of God (Jamie Bryson): unremarkable theology, but an insight into the mind of the protest-organiser
Tweet Jamie Bryson has come to prominence recently as one of the leaders of the flag protests across Northern Ireland. As Chris Donnelly pointed out in his post (and was echoed later in the Belfast Telegraph), Jamie Bryson is a well known loyalist in North Down where he unsuccessfully stood at the council elections under [...] read our review »
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“Good Friday. The death of Irish Republicanism” by Anthony McIntyre: a review
Tweet This was a book that I first reviewed at the same time as “Unionism Decayed” back in 2008. Like Vance’s work, it is the author’s portrayal of a defeated political movement or ideal and as a Unionist it was instructional to read an interpretation of the immediate post-Agreement period from the other side of the [...] read our review »
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