Legacy chief Sir Declan Morgan has been told his truth recovery mission is doomed to fail by victims.

Richard Sullivan, Sunday World, June 9th, 2024

LEGACY chief Sir Declan Morgan has been told his truth recovery mission is doomed to fail.

The former Lord Chief Justice has been appointed head of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Recovery Information (ICRIR) under the terms of the controversial Legacy Bill.

In return for immunity for prosecution, those responsible for Troubles crimes are encouraged to provide information to be shared with victims and their families. But the Sunday World can reveal that information contained in security and intelligence files will be withheld from families.

The police and ICRIR will have access to fully unredacted documents but families will have no access to that information.

In a meeting this week with victims, Sir Declan was told the Legacy Bill will do nothing to draw a line under the past and that once again the interests and care for victims was being put to the side.

Hosted by the University of Ulster’s School of Law, the meeting was brokered by victims campaigner Raymond McCord.

CAMPAIGN

A founder member of the Truth and Justice Movement, which represents victims murdered by loyalist and republican paramilitaries and state agencies, he said the Legacy Bill was a mass cover-up.

His son Raymond Jnr was murdered by the UVF in 1997 and he has been waging a campaign to win justice ever since. The mob that beat Raymond to death in a remote quarry north of Belfast were all on the payroll of RUC Special Branch.

Mr McCord said it would be impossible for him to stop his campaign.

He paid tribute to Sir Declan with whom he had a private meeting before last week’s event.

“I believe Sir Declan to be a totally decent and honest man whose intention is to see the interests and rights of victims served in the best possible way,” he said. “But I think in taking this job he has made a mistake, I don’t doubt his intentions but in this instance they are misguided.”

Sir Declan has pledged that if the controversial Tory legislation is ruled to be in contravention of the European Convention on Human Rights he will stand down.

There are a number of legal challenges underway both in the UK and Europe.

“I oppose the ICRIR as I don’t believe it will help victims in their quest for justice,” said Mr McCord. He said the legislation was an attempt to gag victims and their families.

“No disclosure will be given to victims or their families, however the police and ICRIR will see disclosure on the murdered victims if the family engages with the ICRIR,” he said.

“To me it’s a scenario of ‘we take your case or it stops’ and the police holds all disclosure documents.

“My son and other victims deserve better than that.”

The controversial legislation is opposed by every political party on the island of Ireland and all parties in Britain bar the Tories. Designed to protect former British soldiers from prosecution, it offers all combatants an amnesty from prosecution in return for information detailing their actions in Troubles-related crimes including 3,000 unsolved murders.

It shuts down all recourse to legal action including civil cases and inquests. Outgoing Secretary of State Chris Heaten-Harris has already issued legal proceedings against the coroner over the disclosure of intelligence documents.

IDENTITIES

The government has also gone to the courts in an attempt to suppress documents on the identities of state agents within loyalist paramilitary groups — including the late Billy Wright — for 100 years.

“What does all of that tell you?” said Mr McCord. “Every action the government takes is another kick in the teeth for victims.

“It’s OK to be a murderer in Northern Ireland, that’s their message — would the people of Yorkshire or London accept that; why should we?”

He said he appreciated Sir Declan had honoured his pledge to engage with victims but insisted his new job is founded on a false promise.

“I’ve found Sir Declan Morgan to be a decent and humble man but humility will not get justice for young Raymond, the courts are the place for that,” he said.

“Once again the British government has set up a mechanism that benefits the state with the truth hidden in documents seen only by the police and the body set up by the state — the ICRIR.

“This is not a process for justice, it’s another blockage of truth and justice — I can’t and won’t support it.

“Simply put, the government and state agencies think nothing of victims but only themselves.”