May 14, 2002 A Police Service for Northern Ireland?
A meeting on the fifth anniversary of Robert Hamill's death on May 8th 7.30PM in the House Of Commons Committee, room 10. Speakers confirmed: Kevin McNamara MP; Jane Winter, British Irish Rights Watch; Paul O'Connor, Pat Finucane Centre;Padraigin Drinan, solicitor; Jeremy Hardy, Robert Hamill Campaign

Five years after the murder of Robert Hamill, three years after the murder of Rosemary Nelson and thirteen years after the murder of Pat Finucane, an "international judge" is being appointed by the British government to examine these and other cases, a step far short of the demands for public inquiries into all three cases. Details of a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice are emerging in Robert's case. The police ombudsman in Northern Ireland has found complete failure within the RUC to prevent the horrific Omagh bombing, and she is furiously attacked by the Chief Constable and senior Unionists. In March, the security establishment burgles itself at Castlereagh. And still nothing has been done in Northern Ireland to investigate the RUC's role in the bombing of Dublin and Monaghan, which was in fact the worst single episode of the Troubles in terms of deaths. In the face of fierce opposition from Unionist politicians and the security services to an open examination of these issues, the British government is moving painfully slowly. What does it take for families to have the truth publicly aired?

Background to the Robert Hamill case:

In the early hours of April 27, 1997, Robert, a 25-year-old Catholic, was kicked to death by a large gang of Loyalists, in Portadown, County Armagh. It was a random sectarian attack, and it happened in full view of an RUC Land Rover, 200 yards from an RUC station. Four RUC officers remained in the Land Rover during the attack. They wore body armour and were armed with pistols, plastic bullets, CS gas and a semi-automatic rifle.

The officers ignored warnings of a potential incident at a known flashpoint. They did not intervene during the attack. They did not administer first aid. They did not declare a crime scene, collect forensic evidence or take statements, even though there were witnesses present and the attackers remained on the scene for nearly an hour. No arrests were made for two weeks, even though some of the suspects were known to police. No one has been convicted of Robert's murder.

In May 2000, the Belfast coroner decided not to hold an inquest because he could not guarantee the safety of witnesses. International pressure for a public inquiry has built up, and became a feature of the negotiations to save the Good Friday Agreement. Nationalist parties and the Irish Government have pressed for inquiries into the murders of Robert, Rosemary Nelson, the solicitor who represented his family and was killed in 1999, and Patrick Finucane, a solicitor who was murdered in 1989.The British government has offered to appoint an "international judge" to investigate all three cases, along with three cases of interest to Loyalists, presumably in the interests of "balance". The terms of reference of this judge have not been announced, but the appointment, scheduled for April, appears to be an attempt to stall or prevent public inquiries in cases which threaten serious embarrassment to the Royal Ulster Constabulary, now renamed the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The families are demanding open judicial hearings with full disclosure and the power to summon police witnesses. They will not settle for further secrecy, and they will not allow their grievances to be reduced to bargaining counters.

You can help in the following ways:

1. Write to the Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street, London SW1A 2AA and The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Office, Block B, Castle Buildings, Belfast BT4 3SG urging them to establish a public inquiry.
2. Ask your MP to support this call.
3. Ask your trade union, church, political or community organisation to support the campaign.
4. Help distribute information.
5. Make a donation.