Document - United Kingdom: Publish Cory reports now, human rights groups urge government
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
AI Index: EUR 45/031/2003 (Public)
News Service No: 287
18 December 2003
United Kingdom: Publish Cory reports now, human rights groups urge government
Five leading human rights organisations today called upon the British government to publish without delay the reports by Judge Peter Cory, a retired Canadian Supreme Court Judge, into the deaths of Patrick Finucane, Robert Hamill, Billy Wright and Rosemary Nelson.
A spokesperson for the groups (Amnesty International, British Irish Rights Watch, the Committee on the Administration of Justice, Human Rights Watch and the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights) said that "the government has now had the reports for more than two months. We believe there is no basis for any further delay in making the reports public."
The groups expressed concern that the delay was causing distress to the families concerned, and that it also continued to undermine public confidence in the rule of law.
"The reason Judge Cory was appointed was because the government acknowledged there was public concern about these cases of alleged official collusion. The delay in publication is now increasing that concern," the spokesperson added.
Paul Mageean from CAJ said "We believe that the UK government is obliged under domestic and international law to immediately establish full public international judicial inquiries into the cases of Patrick Finucane, Robert Hamill, Billy Wright and Rosemary Nelson. Continuing delay will only result in a greater erosion of public confidence in the rule of law and may result in the loss of further important testimonies."
Background
Justice Peter Cory was appointed by the UK and Irish governments in May 2002 to investigate a number of cases including the killings of human rights lawyers Patrick Finucane and Rosemary Nelson, in 1989 and 1999, respectively; the 1997 sectarian killing of Robert Hamill, a 25-year-old Catholic man; and the 1997 killing of Billy Wright, a leading Loyalist paramilitary, shot dead in the Maze prison.
For further information contact:
Paul Mageean, Legal Officer, Committee on the Administration of Justice: 028 90961122 or 07703 564467
Jane Winter, Director, British Irish Rights Watch: 0208 772 9161
Livio Zilli, Amnesty International spokesperson: 0207 4135675
Julia Hall, Human Rights Watch: 00 1 716 885 1995
Fiona Doherty, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights: 00 1 212 845 5260
Public Document
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