Republicans and the test for prosecution

The Public Prosecution Service has a two step test for prosecution. First, they consider whether or not the evidence which can be adduced in court is sufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction. Secondly they consider if prosecution is required in the “public interest”.

Therefore there could be a case where, on the face of it,there is  compelling evidence against X but the prosecution does not take place because it is not in the public interest. This includes “where details may be made public that could harm sources of information, international relations or national security”. [Sometimes referred to as the ‘Shawcross doctrine’]

It does not require a great leap of imagination to consider that members of Sinn Fein/IRA may already have benefitted from this second limb or may do so in the very near future.

What could be more in the public interest than the protection of “the peace process”?

Let’s watch.

Mairia Cahill -some words of caution

Those of you who read my blog would know my views on Sinn Fein and PIRA. However there are some disturbing aspects of this case.

  • Mairia was a republican
  • She was related to Joe Cahill, a founder of the Provisional IRA and close friend of Adams
  • The alleged rape took place in 1997
  • The alleged internal inquiry or whatever one wants to call it, took place when Joe Cahill was still alive
  • Would not Joe have wanted to protect his grand niece?
  • She made no complaint until an unknown date , perhaps four to five years ago, Over ten years after the event.
  • A decision to prosecute was made, therefore someone in the PPS thought that there was a reasonable prospect of success.
  • It is alleged that the Director did not involve himself in the prosecutorial decision
  • Mairia ultimately declined to give evidence against Martin Morris, the reason for this is not known
  • Consequently he was [ rightly] acquitted
  • She now wishes to make the same case in public and in the media which she was unwilling to make before a jury
  • If we are ever to become a humane a sophisticated society, we need to observe the rule of law.
  • Trial by media , even Nolan, is not the way to go.

Those rushing to judgement for whatever their personal beliefs ought to consider these matters.

Sex and the Shinner

The deal was that if Sinn Fein/PIRA stopped bombing England then they would get seats in government.

The body language/language of Adams and McGuinness ever since is that of the pupil who is confident that the Head will not discipline him , because he is a snitch.

However, as time has moved on , the guns and the semtex are  [mostly] gone. The war is over and Gerry and Martin are beginning to wonder if Perfidious Albion has done the dirty on them  and that they are not going to be protected after all. Hence McGuinness’s comment after the arrest of Adams. It was a message to the Brits.

This society will never move on until those responsible for hundreds of deaths are prosecuted.

Education and charity

The two Grammar schools in Lisburn City , Friends and Wallace, educate 2152 secondary school pupils. Of these, 47, or two percent, are entitled to free school meals.

The four secondary schools, Laurelhill, Fort Hill, Lisnagarvey and St Patrick’s , educate 2640 children.Of these , 528 or twenty two percent, take free school meals.

The figures [ from DENI], speak for themselves.

Friends and Wallace are entitled to charitable status and the benefits which that brings.

The Charity Commission is now in full operation in Northern Ireland.

It is clear from these figures that a section of the public, children from poor homes, is largely excluded from a grammar school education.

Friends and Wallace might point out, in response that all children are afforded an equal chance by sitting the AQE test. This of course is nonsense as the test does not measure academic ability. In addition, well off parents pay for their children to be coached.

When might we expect the Charity Commission, which is “committed to equality and diversity in all that we do” to investigate this dreadful state of affairs, which is replicated throughout Northern Ireland?

Terrorism and frozen assets

Nobody can explain why assets are frozen and when they might be unfrozen. If the freeze was to punish Gadafy, well he is long gone. If it was to stop a long list of his family and henchmen from helping themselves, well that has worked too. Meantime the money, shares, property etc, sits wherever it is, doing not much for anyone.

David Cameron, in March 2011 said that “the assets really do belong to the Libyan people ” and did not support the idea of using a fraction of the wealth to compensate Libyan victims of semtex.

The NTC gave Jason McCue a promise to pay compensation, a month later.

On 27 July 2011 the British Government recognised the National Transitional Council “as the sole governmental authority in Libya”.

In August Henry Bellingham Foreign Office Minister, wrote to Dr McCrea MP, about my claim and said: “I know Mr McCue was able to get a MoU signed by Abdul Jalil of the NTC which gave agreement to compensation. It may be possible to consider, when the time is right, making a further approach to the NTC for the setting aside of assets for compensation”

This language is typical of  mealy mouthed Foreign Office speak. When somebody makes you a promise to pay  but does not pay, the time is immediately right. No hand wringing necessary.

Time for the FCO and the Prime Minister to show some steel in support of victims of terrorism.

The time is right.

Terrorism in the UK

To those affected by PIRA’s use of Libyan semtex anywhere in the UK, I suggest that we make more noise, that we question why Cameron has not secured the same rights for us as for our US “Allies”;that we draw his ambivalence and sloth to a wider audience and that we give him no peace until payment is secured.

Contact me on this blog if you agree, let’s build up a head of steam!