The Death Knell of Article 2?

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The Death Knell of Article 2? FebruaryApril 2003 2005 The Death Knell of Article 2?January 2003 Readers of Just News will be familiar with the Appeal’s decision stands it has a number of implications for rapidly changing law surrounding the the legal system here. First, it is an extension of the conduct of inquests in Northern Ireland. The principles outlined by the House of Lord in the case of McKerr in that it closes down any possibility of individuals latest development has come in the form of invoking the Human Rights Act in domestic courts where the judgment of the NI Court of Appeal in Re the death in question occurred before 2nd October 2000. McCaughey and Grew’s application. Secondly, the judgment has implications for the conduct of Martin McCaughey and Desmond Grew were shot dead by inquests here. It appears that a “twin-track” inquest system the SAS on 9th October 1990 in circumstances that raised is emerging and that inquests into deaths which occurred fresh “shoot-to-kill” allegations. The inquest into their before the coming into force of the Human Rights Act will deaths is one of a number of outstanding inquests into be held according to the “old” system. This means that the deaths caused by the security forces here during the scope of such inquests will be limited to “ascertaining the conflict. As readers of Just News will know, a key hitherto identity of the deceased, the time and place of death and unresolved issue in the inquest is the role of the police in how, in the sense of ‘by what means’, the deceased met his providing material to the Coroner in advance of an inquest. death…”. While an amendment to the Coroners Rules In common with the inquests which are ongoing in means that, unlike before, a person suspected of causing Dungannon, the families of Martin McCaughey and Desmond a death is a compellable witness, the House of Lords has Grew are concerned that the Coroner in their case has not recognised (in the case of Middleton) that an inquest with been provided with all the material necessary to conduct this limited scope will not always comply with Article 2 (right the inquest. In addition, they complained that the police to life). It seems therefore that the inquest into the death had edited some of the documents given to the Coroner, of Patrick Shanaghan, already condemned as in violation deleting material that they (i.e. the police) considered might of Article 2 by the European Court of Human Rights, would attract public interest immunity. be conducted in the same manner today. The case was therefore concerned with the question of Many of the outstanding inquests which raise issues under whether there is, in law, a duty on the police to provide Article 2 relate to deaths raising politically sensitive material to the Coroner in advance of an inquest and if so, questions and allegations about the actions of servants or the extent of that duty. The High Court had previously held agents of the state. It is beginning to look like deaths such that there was such a duty and that it could be found by as those of Pearce Jordan, Dermot McShane and Roseann giving a wide meaning to section 8 of the Coroners Act Mallon will be conducted according to the “old system” and (Northern Ireland) 1959. The Court of Appeal disagreed be severely limited in scope. In a number of cases such and, allowing an appeal by the police, decided that:- an inquest will certainly not be enough to discharge the state’s Article 2 obligations. Will the families in those ? There is no duty on the police to disclose information cases be forced to take their cases to to the European to a Coroner once their initial duty to inform him/her of a Court of Human Rights, some of them for the second time? death immediately has been fulfilled; ? Section 8 of the Coroners Act could not be read in a way that imposed such a duty; ? Section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998 could not be employed to interpret section 8 in a manner that is Contents compliant with Article 2 ECHR on the grounds that the Human Rights Act does not apply where the date of death The Death Knell of Article 2? 1 is prior to the coming into force of the Act; Basic Principles for a truth process ? That the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal in the in Northern Ireland 2/3 case of Jordan (delivered on 10th September 2004) was Update 3 incorrectly decided insofar as it ruled that section 3 was of The Truth of Bloody Sunday 4/5 general application and not dependent on the assertion of Reigning in Emergency Powers 6 the rights of an individual. Government Spending: Targeting Social or Political Need? 7 The McCaughey and Grew families are currently seeking Civil Liberties Diary 8 leave to appeal to the House of Lords. But if the Court of Website: www.caj.org.uk February 2005 Just News Basic Principles for a truth process in Northern Ireland The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee launched another 4. Procedures should be important study recently into the topic of “Reconciliation: article 2 and 3 compliant Ways of dealing with Northern Ireland’s past”. The Westminster based parliamentary committee has already In the Jordan et al cases, the European Court of Human Rights laid down a received testimony from internationally renowned expert, series of tests to ensure that any Priscilla Hayner of the International Centre for Transitional investigation into violations of the right Justice, and is now beginning to hear from a range of to life should be compliant with article individuals and groups across Northern Ireland. 2 of the Convention. Similarly the European Court of Human Rights has CAJ was invited to testify before the While CAJ’s mandate relates only to laid down tests for article 3 Committee and submitted a short two- the actions of the state, we believe investigations. Any acceptable page paper. The paper offers no clear that it is self-evident that any process must meet these standards. model for tackling the legacy of the examination of the past must take past but summarises the key principles place in the context of a full and 5. There can be no that should be the benchmarks against informed examination of the actions impunity or blanket amnesty which to measure any proposed model. of all relevant actors. Traditionally, CAJ turns to international Truth processes which grant human rights principles and good Obvious principles against which unqualified amnesty for those accused practice to see what can and cannot proposals must be measured include: of serious violations are in violation of be applied to the Northern Ireland human rights law. So, while there is a situation. To date, however, we have 1. Independence growing legal debate about what - found few clear international parallels, short of a blanket amnesty - is an so our contribution has been limited to Any process must be completely acceptable compromise when an elaboration of principles, rather independent of all parties to the conflict, reconciliation and political stability are than proposals for specific models. including the state. major concems, there can be no blanket immunity. While not ignoring the past, the opening Those who are charged with facilitating preamble of the Agreement says that the process must be persons of 6.The process should be it is to honour those who have died, sufficient standing in the international voluntary been injured, and their families, that human rights community to command we must “dedicate ourselves to a respect across the community in Victims should retain the option of future of reconciliation, tolerance, and Northern Ireland. pursuing their case through the normal mutual trust, and to the protection and legal process if they so choose, and vindication of the rights of all”. With ought not be forced to take part in a hindsight, there is increasing doubt, 2. Transparency truth and reconciliation process. as to whether it is either desirable or possible, to fully commit to a shared Cooperation on the part of the state and peaceful future, without some must include full disclosure of material 7. Acknowledgement of addressing of the legacy of the past. including documents relevant to the wrong-doing conflict. Nothing should be exempted From CAJ’s perspective, we have from this undertaking, save There must be acknowledgement from worked for many years with families information which would clearly put the state and all parties to the conflict who have lost loved ones during the someone’s life in danger. Any process that wrongs were committed, and there conflict - we have campaigned on must involve public hearings. must be undertakings from all parties individual cases; we have worked to to cooperate with a fair and impartial improve the inquest system; and we 3. Accountability truth seeking mechanism. have successfully taken cases to the European Court of Human Rights. Any The process should be primarily about 8. Integrity of criminal proposal for dealing with the past must ensuring that institutions and justice process should be build on these experiences, must be individuals are held accountable for upheld in accordance with domestic and their actions or inactions. This need international human rights standards, not necessarily be about punishment The conflict in Northern Ireland has and must properly engage with the or actual imprisonment, and a range of warped the criminal justice system rights of victims and others. accountability measures could be considered. contd on next page 2 February 2005 Just News contd.
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