Diplock extension can not be justified MP says
By Barry McCaffrey
Irish News
03/07/2009
British government plans to extend non-jury trials in Northern Ireland can not be justified in the wake of recent loyalist decommissioning, SDLP MP Eddie McGrady, right, last night warned.
Diplock, non-jury trials, officially ended in 2007 but the British government said they could temporarily continue in exceptional cases if the Director of Public Prosecutions believed there was a risk of jurors being intimidated.
Last month Justice Minister Paul Goggins said that Diplock courts would continue to operate in Northern Ireland for a further two years as jurors continued to face threats from paramilitaries.
However, Mr McGrady has told a Westminster debate that loyalist decommissioning means there is no justification for the extension of Diplock courts.
“The government has never provided any overwhelming evidence that jurors have been interfered with, with perverse results being caused,” he said.
“Surely there needs at least to be clear evidence that a jury would be likely to be intimidated before there could be any question of a non-jury court.
“The recent statement by Secretary of State Shaun Woodward welcoming the complete decommissioning of the UVF and the Red Hand Commando along with the start of decommissioning by the UDA, further weakens the governments case for the need to have these non-jury trials extended for a period of two years.”
'So venceremos, beidh bua againn eigin lá eigin. Sealadaigh abú.'
--Bobby Sands