Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is backing the family of slain GAA official, Seán Brown, in their pursuit of a public inquest into his death. Chris Heaton-Harris, Northern Secretary, will decide within the week if such an inquiry will transpire regarding the 61-year-old’s death.
Mr. Brown was abducted and then slain by loyalists during May of 1997 whilst locking the gates at the Bellaghy Wolfe Tone’s GAA club in County Derry. His murder, as of yet, remains unpunished.
An inquest into Mr. Brown’s death was initiated in the previous year, but was halted by Coroner Mr Justice McKinney who cited national security as the reason for withholding necessary materials. He subsequently requested that Mr. Heaton-Harris preside over a public inquiry.
During secretive Public-interest immunity (PII) hearings, between 20-30 people were revealed to be linked through intelligence to Mr. Brown’s murder. This included state spies, substantiating the family’s long-standing assumptions of conspiracy.
Mr. Varadkar expressed his condolences to the family and whilst also bringing attention to the ongoing disputes about the British government’s Legacy Act. He noted that the revelations during Mr. Brown’s inquest further demonstrated the consistent importance and necessity of human rights compliant processes in tackling legacy cases in Northern Ireland.
Varadkar suggested that Deputy Prime Minister Micheál Martin, who displayed his support for a public probe into the homicide in Parliament last month, would continue discussions on this ensuing investigation.
The Brown family has expressed their gratitude for the proactive and positive involvement of the Taoiseach in endorsing the coroner’s proposition for a public investigation. They highlighted their appreciation for his acknowledgement of the distress caused to them by the PII process. The Browns believe that the support from the top two Irish Government officials, coupled with the perspectives of Mr Justice Kinney, the high court judge, and the chief constable (both of whom have reviewed the confidential material), empowers Mr Heaton-Harris to carry out what is juste and appropriate, which is to arrange for a public inquiry, they stated.
The family expressed their desire to avoid additional prolonged legal procedures, as it adds to their stress and compounds their perception of unfairness regarding their father’s situation. KRW Law, the legal representative of the Brown family, stated it was evident the sole legitimate action the secretary of state could take was to arrange a public inquiry. They declared that if the secretary of state neglected to fulfil this duty, Mrs Brown was primed to promptly pursue a judicial review to contest what they deemed an illogical and illegal decision.
The Pat Finucane Centre, which advocates on behalf of the Brown family, announced that further obstructions in the quest for justice would inflict significant harm on the family. They added it would lead to an unprecedented level of fury in the community and worsen the PSNI’s relationship with the broader nationalist community.