Human Rights – Page 36 – Slugger O'Toole

So, is timing everything?

Pete Baker on April 11, 2008, 10:26 pm

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UTV don’t report when the new information was provided that has caused a relocation of the search for the remains of Charlie Armstrong – whom the Provisional IRA have always denied abducting, murdering and secretly burying. But they do note that the “development comes after republican sources told UTV they are hopeful there will be progress in most of the cases of the Disappeared.” So, is timing everything? From the UTV report A detailed scientific investigation will be carried out …

“do their best to maintain a sense of law and order in their own communities..”

Pete Baker on April 10, 2008, 12:51 am

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On Channel 4 News tonight Carl Dinnen reported from here on how, ten years after the 1998 Agreement, “the paramilitaries are still operating in Northern Ireland and many are still holding onto their guns.” He starts with the murder of Paul Quinn, and talks to Assistant Chief Constable Peter Sheridan about that and other republican paramilitaries’ activity. But perhaps the most interesting point comes when he interviews Jackie McDonald – described in the report as the “UDA’s leading brigadier” – …

“how much time, if any..”

Pete Baker on April 9, 2008, 7:15 pm

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The trial was delayed last week when the judge recused himself, and all but one of the six men who were arrested at the Alexandra bar in March 2006, including Ihab Shoukri, have now pleaded guilty to charges ranging from UDA membership to supporting the organisation. The five who have pleaded guilty have been released on bail ahead of sentencing. But as the UTV report indicates, they’ve already served time on remand. The 34-year-old will learn shortly how much time, …

Is timing everything..

Pete Baker on April 8, 2008, 9:27 pm

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Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams might be meeting with the Northern Ireland Security Minister Paul Goggins, MP, but UTV has a short report on another outstanding issue. From the UTV report Republican sources have told UTV they are hopeful there will be progress in most of the cases of the Disappeared, who were abducted and killed between 1972 and 1986. Did someone mention a deadline target date? Pete Baker

“in the interests of justice”

Pete Baker on April 1, 2008, 11:52 pm

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More strange goings-on in the long-running saga that is the Ihab Shoukri case – and the “serious nature” of the charges brought. Mr Justice Gillen today recused himself in the case because, as the BBC reports, “case papers given to him contained certain details ‘which may be adverse’ to some of the accused”. At Tuesday’s hearing, Mr Justice Gillen said he was stepping down “in the interests of justice”. He ordered the retrial to begin on Monday. He said he …

“What has been produced does not even come close to representing that..”

Pete Baker on March 31, 2008, 7:32 pm

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The Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum completed its weekend deliberations and delivered its final report [pdf file] today – there’s a correction to the report too [pdf file]. The BBC report points to both the DUP and the Catholic Church’s boycott of the launch of the report [pdf file] at the Hilton Hotel, linking that boycott to an issue which the Assembly has already debated.. but the UTV report indicates that the DUP’s criticism of the report is based …

“a small price to pay..”

Pete Baker on March 30, 2008, 5:21 pm

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Via Newshound. Interesting view-point from Kevin Myers on The Process™ and the ‘price of peace’. Room too for some archival links – on Gerry Adams, “armed struggle” was “necessary”, MI5 and the back-channel, and the US government’s role in the latter part of that Process™. Read the whole thing. For the peace process was solely about ensuring the IRA never bombed London again; and as far as MI5 – the prime movers of the peace process – was concerned, the …

Weekend work-in on a Bill of Rights

Mick Fealty on March 28, 2008, 9:38 pm

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Before heading over to Mark Devenport’s blog to see the draft Bill of Rights, delivered by Chris Sidoti for discussion at the Bill of Rights Forum, it is worth reminding people what the remit given the Forum was in the first place: “To advise on the scope for defining, in Westminster legislation, rights supplementary to those in the European Convention on Human Rights, to reflect the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland, drawing as appropriate on international instruments and experience. These …

“he could vouch for them as honest and law-abiding citizens..”

Pete Baker on March 27, 2008, 6:29 pm

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“Whatever happened to..”, indeed.. Funding wasn’t mentioned in the reports on the unaccredited Belfast community-based Restorative Justice scheme but, via Newshound, we have a report on an attempt to secure funding for the Barcroft CRJ scheme from Newry and Mourne Council, as proposed by Sinn Féin councillor Brendan Curran – despite the scheme not signing up to the NIO protocols. The Newry Democrat report ends by noting that It was then decided that money will be ring-fenced for Barcroft CRJ …

“but then found out that is not quite what they were doing..”

Pete Baker on March 27, 2008, 3:32 pm

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A couple of reports to consider on the “refined process” that is the Historical Enquiries Team. The BBC report notes that “In the first year the team had a 40% turnover in staff, while it was about 29% last year. There are currently 180 staff, up from 80 two years ago.” and they have this quote from a HET spokeswoman A spokeswoman for the HET told the Press Association many members only signed up to the job for a limited …

“there was no evidence that he was to be outed as an informer..”

Pete Baker on March 26, 2008, 5:02 pm

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Some interesting detail from the Irish News front-page report in which “one of the leading lights in CRJ”, Jim McCarthy, who was sentenced to five years in 1976 for possession of firearms, “angrily” denies being an informer after he had, reportedly, “been visited at his west Belfast home by police who told him he was to be publicly exposed.” [subs req for now] The report quotes a Sinn Féin spokesman A Sinn Fein spokesman said: “We can confirm Jim McCarthy …

“They’ll be seen going in and out of the house..”

Pete Baker on March 26, 2008, 1:09 am

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I had asked previously, “Whatever happened to..” [community restorative justice]. Well, coincidentally, the first ten minutes of Radio 4’s Law in Action programme today dealt with “Justice Belfast style”. The audio [RealPlayer file] is accompanied by an online article specifically about the Belfast report. There’s no mention of funding in either report, nor of the “volunteers patrolling” west Belfast, but the case used as an example of the work they do is worth noting. With no statement being made to …

“failure to deliver will seriously damage their credibility..”

Pete Baker on March 24, 2008, 11:23 pm

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The Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, MP, may or may not actually believe that the NI Executive has become “one of the most successful governments anywhere”.. ANYhoo.. It’s part of the mood music for the 10th anniversary of the 1998 Agreement and, whilst Bill Clinton will be elsewhere, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has decided to hold a gala dinner for former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, at Dublin Castle. Maurice Hayes is less impressed with the “rush to memorialise” …

Whatever happened to..

Pete Baker on March 23, 2008, 6:53 pm

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Community Restorative Justice? The question arises, in part, from the absence of any reference to ‘restorative justice’ in Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams’ statements on the murder of Frank McGreevy and, in particular, his party’s apparent support for ‘tougher policing’ to deal with anti-social behaviour – the police investigation into the circumstances surrounding that murder continues. No longer funded by Chuck Feeney’s Atlantic Philanthropies some of the RJ schemes, but not all of them, have so far failed to gain …

“and worry about the detail later..”

Pete Baker on March 17, 2008, 3:08 pm

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Jonathan Powell isn’t the only one with a book out to mark the 10th anniversary of the 1998 agreement. The Irish Times today notes [subs req] the publication of a revised edition of The Far Side of Revenge by Deaglán de Bréadún, the paper’s political correspondent – the title is another quote from The Cure at Troy. The report highlights the evolution of the back-channel of communication to “a semi-permanent team of negotiators from the different sides: London, Dublin and …

Canning bailed on £10,000 cash surety

Pete Baker on March 16, 2008, 1:37 am

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An Irish News report today [subs req] provides an interesting update to the charges against Marvin Canning. A brother-in-law of the deputy First Minister, Mr Canning faces seven charges in connection with an abduction and assault in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, last April – including false imprisonment, kidnapping and grevious bodily harm with intent. According to today’s report, the Crown lawyer, Douglas Edmondson, told the court that “police described the death of 53-year-old Michael [Gerard?] Hampson, also from Derry, as suspicious. …

“a bit of a flippertygibbet..”

Pete Baker on March 15, 2008, 3:51 pm

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That’s Tony Blair’s former chief of staff – the recently married Jonathan Powell – on Tony Blair. Powell’s account of The Process™ will be published soon, and is to be serialised in the Guardian from Monday. Today’s paper has a taster, and a longer interview, pointing to the importance of the “secret back channel between the British government and the IRA”. One part of that back channel, Brendan Duddy – formerly a member of the Policing Board – has been …

Bill of Rights Forum in trouble…

Mick Fealty on March 14, 2008, 6:29 pm

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More pre breaking news… Though it’s not clear that talks have yet concluded, the Bill of Rights Forum could be heading for collapse… Slugger hears from one Alliance source that “there is no hint of compromise. The Unions are still stuck in the 70s, and the Unionists in 60s.” It seems too that there is no sign of the Catholic Church’s representative, who seems to have judged there are more constructive things to be doing on a Friday afternoon… Another …

“This is not a new Vatican edict..”

Pete Baker on March 12, 2008, 2:15 am

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The blood-crazed ferret Telegraph blogger, and editor-in-chief of The Catholic Herald, Damian Thompson, provides a useful corrective to the recent wide-spread coverage of the story that “the Vatican has brought up to date the traditional seven deadly sins by adding seven modern mortal sins”. Local media outlets, and not so local, including otherwise excellent bloggers [Adds who adds his own corrective] – and here – also carried the story. Damian Thompson’s Holy Smoke blog notes the Catholic Communications Network statement …

“It might drift for a few months..”

Pete Baker on March 11, 2008, 2:16 am

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The Irish Times report quotes a statement from the Taoiseach’s office as saying, in reference to Sinn Fein’s demand for the devolving policing and justice powers, “that the time is right for the parties to move forward and take the final steps towards full devolution and full normality, as set out in the St Andrews Agreement.” But, in a recent debate, the Taoiseach also told the Dáil “The way for us all to move forward is to try to ensure …