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December 1999 On 10th December, international human rights day, we published a report into the murder of Rosemary Nelson. The report, which will be available on our website shortly, was launched at a press conference organised by the Rosemary Nelson Campaign, and received extensive media coverage. It highlights the many attempts made by human rights groups and others to raise her safety with the government, their failure to act, and the flawed nature of the police investigation to date. It concludes that, whatever the outcome of the police investigation, only a public inquiry will suffice to ensure that all the issues that have been raised in the report are properly examined and recommendations made and implemented to ensure that she is the last lawyer ever to be murdered in Northern Ireland and the last to have to carry out her professional duties in fear of her life. We are seeking meeting with the British and Irish governments to convey this message. On the same day, we joined with an impressive array of human rights groups - Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists' Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, and the Committee on the Administration of Justice - in issuing a joint statement calling for an inquiry.
POLICINGWe welcome the Secretary of State's announcement today that he will implement the recommendations of the Patten Commission in full. We hope that he will also take the opportunity to remedy some of the omissions in the Patten report, by banning the use of plastic bullets and ensuring that human rights abusers can not serve in the new Northern Ireland Policing Service.
On 10th December I had a constructive meeting with Nuala O'Lone, the Policing Ombudsman designate for Northern Ireland.
BILL OF RIGHTSI recently took part in a preliminary meeting organised by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to discuss what is probably their most important task, the drafting of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.
SEAMUS LUDLOWOn 8th December I travelled to Dublin to meet the Minister for Justice together with the family of Seamus Ludlow and their lawyer. The Victims Commissioner, John Wilson, has recommended a private inquiry into this dreadful murder, which appears to have been carried out by loyalists from over the border and to have been the subject of an official cover up. The Minister promised the family that he would help them to find out the truth, and said that he would consider further submissions on the question of whether a public inquiry should be instigated. I was, though, shocked at the Minster's failure to accord the family due respect and compassion.
DUBLIN AND MONAGHAN BOMBINGSI will be in Dublin again on 18th December to advise the Justice for the Forgotten campaign on their response to an offer by the Irish government to have the Dublin and Monaghan bombings investigated by a government committee rather than a public inquiry.
BILLY WRIGHTWe have been approached by the family of Billy Wright, the loyalist who was murdered by INLA inside the Maze prison almost two years ago. We have agreed to investigate his case, which certainly raises some serious concerns.
ANNUAL REPORTWe have recently published our annual report for 1999, which is available on our website.
CHRISTMAS GREETINGSI will be on holiday from 20th December to 3rd January, and the office will be closed from 23rd December to 3rd January. May I wish all our friends and supporters a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.
Jane Winter,
Director,
17th December 1999
For Peace Justice & Human Rights
