British Govt to challenge Clonoe Inquest findings
Letter by Alistair Carns, DSO, OBE, MC MP
To: James Cartlidge MP,
21st March, 2025.
Our Ref: MC2025/036O
Dear James,
Thank You for your letter of 12 February, 2025, to the Defence Secretary asking if the Government would challenge the Clonoe Inquest findings that were delivered in February. I am replying as the Minister responsible for this matter.
First, please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to your letter. I hope you will understand that due to the legal nature od these matters, I have not been able to share further information regarding a potential response to the Corner, Mr Justice Humphrey’s judgement until now.
I appreciate your, and others’ concerns about the Coroner’s findings in this case. I have carefully considered and taken advice on the merits of judicially reviewing the findings and can confirm that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has issued a pre-action protocol letter to the Coroner, which sets out the legal basis upon which we ground our judicial review application.
I have also agreed to the MOD funding the Specialist Military Unit veterans’ judicial review of the findings; this is expected to run adjacent to MOD’s application. The veterans involved have been and continue to be offered welfare and legal support.
As a veteran, I am deeply proud of the members of the armed forces who, along with police officers and members of the security forces, sought to protect communities and peace in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and recognise the difficult choices they faced in extremely challenging operations. We owe a great deal to them and I will continue to champion their cause as we deal with Northern Ireland’s legacy.
ALISTAIR CARNS MP
Coroner’s findings.
The Coroner, Mr Justice Humphreys found that in each case, the use of lethal force to kill four PIRA members was not justified.
‘The soldiers did not have an honest belief that it was necessary in order to prevent loss of life and the use of force’ by soldiers ‘was, in the circumstances they believed them to be, not reasonable.
‘The operation was not planned and controlled in such a way as to minimise to the greatest extent possible the need for recourse to lethal force.”
https://www.truthrecoveryprocess.ie/newsupdates/british-govt-to-challenge-clonoe-inquest-findings
For the full text of the Coroner’s findings go to:
https://www.judiciaryni.uk/judicial-decisions/summary-findings-clonoe-inquest-odonnell-vincent-clancy-and-ofarrell
