CLAUDIA SAVAGE, Belfast Telegraph and Irish News, November 12th, 2026
Sir Declan Morgan, chairman of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), was speaking to a Westminster committee where it was heard the body is operating with less than half the staff required.
All UK police investigations into Troubles-related killings were shut down in May 2024 under the previous Conservative government's Legacy Act and the ICRIR was established.
That Act was roundly condemned by political parties in Northern Ireland as well as victims and survivors groups.
The Labour government pledged to “repeal and replace” the Legacy Act, bringing forward the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill which is currently being considered in the House of Lords.
Labour's Bill, agreed as part of a joint framework with the Irish government, will put in place a reformed Legacy Commission with enhanced powers.
Last month the government added more than 100 amendments to the Bill that included giving the UK's Attorney General the final say in deciding whether serious Troubles-related prosecutions should go ahead, and provided further protections for veterans.
Sir Declan gave evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee yesterday and outlined the body's current workload.
“We have at the moment 159 investigations, which are through eligibility and which we're working on,” he said.
“We have another 57 cases in case support which are waiting to come through, so we're looking at a workload of over 200 investigations.
“We're dealing with 293 deaths and 310 who've come to us. We have less than 200 investigators.
“Cases include cases like Guildford, which shows probably six, seven, eight different events, other than the bomb that went off in Guildford that have to be investigated as part of dealing with that; the M62 bomb; the 18 people who were killed in Warrenpoint. Trying to deal with those cases with these sorts of resources is simply not possible, and we need to impress upon those who are making these decisions — the question you ask is what happens in the event that we end up in a position where we can't deal with these cases, there is going to be a shedload of people looking for public inquiries and they will cost a fortune because public inquiries do that.
Countless victims
“That we will have countless victims and survivors, among them veterans, veterans' families, who will find that they're not being given the truth about what happened.
“I just can see the adverse impact of us not being able to have a workable basis for dealing with all of these cases, including these cases that are very resource-heavy like those that I've mentioned, it just doesn't bear thinking about.” Earlier in the session, committee chairwoman and Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi outlined an amendment she had filed to the Troubles Bill that would remove “from organisations such as the PSNI the costly administrative burden of categorising the sensitivity of evidence that it passes to the commission”.
ICRIR assistant commissioner Amanda Logan said this move would put “the onus on the commission” and is “an additional burden that we don't currently have”.
She added: “We did a piece of work towards the end of last year in terms of identifying the investigative model that would suffice for the commission to deliver on its responsibilities, and that went through a rigorous scrutiny panel, an independent panel that was brought forward by the NIO in January of this year and that panel concluded that the commission needed around nine syndicates.
“We talk about syndicates; there are 58 investigators and support staff in a syndicate.
“However, they also concluded that if we were able to utilise artificial intelligence, that we could reduce that to seven, so that's about just over 400 investigative and investigative support staff.
“When we talk about support staff, we're talking about intelligence officers, analysts, the MIR that are taking in that information, and our case support, the front door, if you like.
“At the minute, we have 189 operational staff in those roles, so we have less than half of what the commission needs in order to fulfil those functions.
“So, absolutely, we need the resources to be able to do it.”
Ombudsman probing PSNI officer over 'violence against wide range of people'
ANDREW MADDEN, Belfast Telegraph, November 12th, 2026
MLAS ALSO TOLD OF ABUSE OF POSITION FOR SEXUAL PURPOSES
The Police Ombudsman is engaged in a “high-profile” historic investigation involving a PSNI officer “perpetrating violence against a wide range of people”, a Stormont committee has been told.
The investigation, which includes other officers, involves a “critical incident” for the PSNI, the committee was told.
MLAs also heard the Ombudsman has identified more cases of PSNI officers abusing their position for sexual purposes in the last two years than in the previous six years combined, and there have been some cases where other officers have been victims.
Yesterday, members of the Executive Office scrutiny committee heard evidence from the Police Ombudsman's office and the PSNI on abuse of position for sexual purposes (APSP) and violence against women and girls.
It comes after it emerged earlier this week that a PSNI officer is to be prosecuted for alleged APSP.
Earlier this year, Ombudsman Jacqui Durkan published a report revealing that predatory behaviour features in 30pc of the most serious cases her office investigates.
The report was based on a review of 42 cases of alleged APSP by PSNI officers the Ombudsman investigated between the beginning of 2018 and the end of December 2024.
One case was reported to have taken place over the course of 20 years.
During yesterday's evidence session, MLAs were told 49 further APSP complaints have been made to the Ombudsman from the beginning of 2025 to date.
Of these complaints, 24 were referrals from the PSNI, 10 originated from Ombudsman staff who “identified behaviours through other investigations” and 15 came from members of the public.
Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín asked if the Ombudsman has received any reports regarding female officers being the victim of APSP where another officer is the perpetrator.
Hugh Hume, chief executive of the Ombudsman's office, said police officers cannot directly make complaints to the office, but “we currently have a high profile investigation ongoing of a non-recent historic nature involving a police officer perpetrating violence against a wide range of people including police officers”.
Vulnerable situations
Mr Hume said this is an active investigation which is a “critical incident” for the organisation, but he did not elaborate further.
On APSP generally, Ombudsman Jacqui Durkan said: “You have asked about why this is happening. It's happening because [the officers] can. It's because they have the power.
“It's because they have access, invariably, to vulnerable people in very vulnerable situations, when they may be at the lowest ebb in their life.
“Whether they are having alcohol and or drugs dependency [issues], whether they have mental health issues, where they are women that have called the police looking for help.”
Members of the committee also heard from PSNI Detective Chief Superintendent Zoe McKee, head of the PSNI's Public Protection Branch, and Superintendent Andrea Hill of the Professional Standards Department.
Ms McKee confirmed there have been cases of APSP where the perpetrator and victim have both been police officers.
She also told MLAs that of the 30 PSNI officers currently suspended, 26 of the cases (87pc) relate to violence against women and girls.
“Public protection is a core policing responsibility and we have dedicated specialist officers and staff and put significant operational effort into that responsibility, whilst also being candid that funding and workforce pressures can at times constrain our delivery,” Ms McKee said.
“Crime that disproportionately affects women and children requires sustained actions across departments, government, and the whole of society.
“And the Police Service of Northern Ireland is committed to ending the violence, supporting victims to access appropriate support, and pursuing a criminal justice outcome.”
Ms McKee acknowledged that “we don't always get it right” regarding detecting APSP, when “dots might not be joined all the time”, which is “absolutely regrettable and not a position we want to be in at all as an organisation”.
Committee chair Paula Bradshaw asked if there were any plans to introduce a “clinical-style psychological screening process” for potential PSNI recruits to “catch these guys before they get into the service”.
Ms Kee replied: “I don't have the details specifically on what is applied, but I can tell you that that is not a current process that exists in terms of psychological screening before somebody comes into the organisation.
“There are robust vetting processes there that every officer will go through before they are accepted into post.
“There are psychological screening that has been introduced for specialist roles, so for example in my department, which is public protection, that is responsible for all of this sort of crime-type investigation, as well as the criminal investigations for the likes of what has been described in the report itself.
“There is psychological screening being piloted for specialist roles, and that's part of our overarching sort of wellbeing and culture position, but I can follow up in writing specifically to see if there are any plans for that.”
Irish Defence Forces member told ‘best thing you can do is forget it’ over rape report
JAMES COXA, Irish Times, November 12th, 2026
Defence Forces member who made a complaint about being raped by a non-commissioned officer (NCO) was told “the best thing you can do is forget all about it and get on with your life”, the Defence Forces Tribunal has heard.
The tribunal, presided over by Judge Ann Power, is charged with investigating how the organisation handled complaints of sexual harassment and bullying, as well as the culture surrounding these complaints. A witness, granted anonymity to give testimony as “Mr H”, described two incidents of sexual abuse during yesterday’s sitting of the tribunal.
He joined An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil, now called the Army Reserve, in 1969 at 16. He subsequently went full time as a private, leaving the Defence Forces in 1974. The alleged rape took place in August 1970, when he was stationed in the Munster area. He was taking part in a training camp to become a full-time private, with the site comprising tents and small buildings, under the command of NCOs. On the night in question, a Saturday, the man joined some colleagues in a local pub. Upon returning around midnight, the acting sergeant instructed Mr H to join him in his quarters.
“I went in, there was a desk and a mattress on the floor. The next thing I remember was waking up and my clothes were down around my ankles the acting sergeant was on top of me. I didn’t know what was happening. I pushed him off, put on my clothes and went out the door.
“I didn’t know what was after happening. When I went in it was around 12pm, when I came out the dawn was breaking.”
Asked by tribunal counsel Lalita Morgan Pillay, if the description of the incident as rape in a previous submission was correct, Mr H replied: “Yes, it was.”
‘You couldn’t talk to anyone’
Asked why he did not report the incident at the time, he said: “You couldn’t talk to anyone. You couldn’t go to NCOs, they were all the one . . . the NCOs, there was no one to talk to. “You couldn’t complain, you had no access to officers, the NCOs were all bullies.”
He said he blocked out the incident for 25 years, before he started to have nightmares and flashbacks in 1995. A doctor advised him to report the incident to An Garda Síochána, but he didn’t feel there was any point. After being admitted for inpatient care at a psychiatric facility, another doctor advised him to make a complaint at Collins Barracks. Mr H couldn’t recall when this was, but it was either later in 1995 or early 1996.
When he told two military policemen at Collins Barracks about the sexual assault, he was told to wait in his car.
After about half an hour, the door opened and an Army chaplain got in. “I told him I was seriously sexually assaulted and I wanted to make a complaint. He said ‘the best thing you can do is forget all about it and get on with your life’.”
He added: “I was suicidal after that . . . The only thing that kept me alive was going home to my wife and children. I wouldn’t be here today without them.” In 2023, he went to a Cork Garda station to report the incident after speaking with a counsellor.
A second man, who served as a gunner in the Defence Forces, testified about abuse at the hands of a superior, identified as ‘Sgt Maj Z’. The incidents occurred in the 1990s in the sergeant major’s office.
The man took a High Court case against the sergeant major, the State, Minister for Defence and Attorney General. The sergeant major was found to have sexually assaulted the man, but the State, Minister for Defence and Attorney General were notfound vicariously liable.
Quarter of a century on there is ‘lamentable failure’ to invest in policing
LIAM KELLY, Belfast Telegraph and Irish News, November 12th, 2026
OPINION/PLATFORM
MUCH TO CELEBRATE BUT LONG-TERM FUNDING REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN AND INCREASE RESOURCES
Policing has always been a numbers game. Whether it's the general crime rate, serious crime, terrorist incidents or road traffic detections, it is all about numbers.
The same is true for officer numbers.
Right now, we are approaching having 6,500 officers in the PSNI.
For a population our size, we really should have 8,500. All of which means we are some 2,000 officers below where we should be.
This is a lamentable failure and an appalling indictment of those who have controlled the levers of power since the inception of the Police Service for Northern Ireland in 2001.
There is much to celebrate in this, our silver anniversary. This policing milestone is a time to reflect on momentous change, enormous upheaval, disappointment, sacrifices, unprecedented scrutiny, the imposition for a time of 50-50 recruitment and successes.
Against all odds, the service has battled conditions that ought to have nothing whatsoever to do with delivering everyday policing.
Recent casualties
We lost two officers to republican terrorism and attacks on others left officers with life-changing injuries. Since coming into being, 13 officers lost their lives in the line of duty.
When the former Northern Ireland minister and last Governor of Hong Kong, Lord Chris Patten, wrote his report entitled A New Beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland, he envisaged a numerical strength of 7,500 officers in a “normalised” policing environment for a population of 1.68 million.
He set out 175 recommendations — many of them practical in nature which were already proposed by the then chief constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, but some were politically charged such as a new name and uniform and the removal of RUC symbols such as the harp and crown crest.
A year before the PSNI came into being, the Queen recognised the collective bravery of the RUC and police families by awarding the force the George Cross. During the 30 years of the Troubles, the RUC paid a terrible price, losing 302 officers to cowardly terrorist attacks.
The same grit and courage that embodied the RUC GC remains ingrained in the ranks of the PSNI.
Today, the threat level assessed by Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) and MI5 is set at 'substantial', meaning an attack is likely. In light of the recent foiled attempt to transport a Semtex bomb across the border, and proxy car bomb attacks on Lurgan and Dunmurry stations, that threat level may increase to 'severe' or highly likely.
Following the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, we were meant to have seen the end of terrorism and paramilitarism from all factions. In reality, regrettably our men and women must still look over their shoulder and remain alert and vigilant both on and off duty.
Terrorist groupings have been degraded, but they remain potent, malevolent and committed to murder and misery.
Evolving crime
There's no doubting that the profile of crime has also evolved. Armed drug gangs operate on an island-wide basis and significant seizures in both jurisdictions show how prevalent they are in our towns and cities.
The battle against these thugs — often paramilitary bullies — is ceaseless, but the efforts invested by both the PSNI and An Garda Siochána in tackling this menace are bearing fruit.
Back to numbers. To do our job effectively, we must have significant long-term investment to maintain and increase our resources. Delayed funding has resulted in intermittent increases in officer numbers but means we remain short of the Chief Constable's Recovery Plan which set a target of 7,000 officers by April 2028.
To get there, we'd need to recruit and train about 1,000 officers between now and the target date as simultaneously around 350 officers leave the service every year.
At most, the training college at Garnerville can effectively manage a maximum of 10 student officer intakes per year, typically accommodating cohorts of around 50 students. Not all student officers attest as constables and not all constables complete their probation period.
Eight months into this financial year and the service is left in financial limbo with no budget allocation and a serious threat to recruitment. The lack of certainty permeates all layers of the organisation, adversely impacting on services to the general public; the ability to plan and implement necessary recruitment and sending officer morale to the basement.
Ordinarily, policing is stressful, but short of required officer numbers, the pressures that are faced on a daily basis are multiplied.
Exhausted, over-worked, metaphorically fighting a raging bush fire on several different fronts, officers are more prone to injury as they are regularly assaulted and attacked whilst carrying out their duties.
Burn-out is commonplace and despite an increased focus, the waiting list to deal with psychological conditions such as PTSD remains challenging. Some are voting with their feet and quitting the service to find less stressful employment.
Worthless promises
The PSNI was born to much fanfare in 2001 but every solemn undertaking promised by every government, and every party represented at the Stormont Executive table, has been worthless.
New Decade, New Approach in 2020 with its commitment to increase numbers to 7,500 is a case in point. It was nothing more than political PR spin that has failed us at every turn.
The truth is policing has been relegated in importance. Without a budget to address years of chronic under-funding, we are left in the intolerable position of being expected to do more with less.
No budget means all the service can expect is 95pc of last year's allocation. Already there is a growing deficit of some £80m of non-ring-fenced funding, a further £23m deficit in ring-fenced funding and a further £38m required to ensure the ongoing Recovery Plan can be paid for.
This financial crisis will inevitably continue to get worse as our Government continues to dither and procrastinate over agreeing and implementing a budget.
We have a new Secretary of State and a new Prime Minister and we must hope that their approach will differ fundamentally from that of their predecessors.
Sir Keir Starmer and Hilary Benn insisted the policing budget was a devolved matter for Stormont to address and steadfastly refused to interfere. If Andy Burnham and Sir Chris Byrant adopt the same approach, our problems will be exacerbated.
Hand to mouth funding
What's required is an initial three-year financial settlement to allow for effective short-to-medium term planning instead of the current hand-to-mouth existence.
Last month, we attended the PFNI Police Bravery and Excellence Awards which showcased officers who went above and beyond in the line of duty to save lives, safeguard the vulnerable and tackle crime.
As in previous years, we heard and saw examples of great courage, amazing police work and selflessness. Sadly, again this year, we weren't able to publicise the identity of the recipients and what they did for obvious security concerns.
These are men and women who, in the finest traditions of Northern Ireland policing, rush towards danger to help.
They show remarkable resilience and strength of character and I would like nothing better than to let the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State meet the people who don't regard themselves as heroes but rather, as broadcaster Stephen Nolan might say, 'peelers' who urgently deserve a better deal.
Liam Kelly is chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland
Belfast City Hall and sites across UK fall silent to mark Armistice Day
EVAN SHORT, Belfast Telegraph, November 12th, 2026
Belfast Lord Mayor Róis-Máire Donnelly led the Armistice Day commemoration in Belfast yesterday as crowds gathered at the Garden of Remembrance at City Hall.
Poignant services were held across the country as people observed a two-minute silence in remembrance of those who died in military conflicts.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson travelled to Londonderry, where he laid a wreath at the newly restored war memorial in The Diamond.
In London, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Speaker Lord Forsyth of Drumlean laid poppy wreaths at the Angel Memorial in Westminster Hall, in the Houses of Parliament, to mark the end of the First World War.
They were joined by Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka, who read a poem.
Sir Lindsay then proceeded to the Lower Waiting Hall of the House of Commons for a Turning the Page ceremony, remembering Alan Scott Balfour, who died in 1918.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting attended the Western Front Association's annual Armistice Day ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, central London, and marked the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
He was joined by UK Government and senior international military representatives, schoolchildren, cadets and many members of the public, who braved the rain to pay their respects.
An Armistice Day service was also held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, where the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester laid a wreath and observed the two-minute silence at 11am.
The pair were then taken around the memorial, also known as the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens, before speaking with members of the public who attended the service.
Last year, the Princess of Wales had attended the memorial in Alrewas and joined veterans in honouring fallen soldiers, before laying a wreath in memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley also paid his respects to the war dead during a ceremony at the National Police Memorial in central London.
Poppy wreaths were also laid during a service at the Portsmouth WWI Memorial in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, Hampshire, where Farming Minister and MP for Portsmouth South Stephen Morgan joined Royal Navy officers and other dignitaries.
A veteran could be seen placing a cross of remembrance during the service, and Royal Navy officers saluted.
Meanwhile, many gathered at the Tommy statue, a tribute to the soldiers of the First World War in Dover, Kent.
A number of ceremonies were also held across Scotland, including in Edinburgh where a service was held at the garden of remembrance, part of Princes Street Gardens.
The only person jailed over Drumcree was a disturbed 49-year-old who likes dressing as a nun.
JOHN LAVERTY, Belfast Telegraph, November 12th, 2026
Ultimately, I'm blaming No Surrender Woman for setting a trend that led to this shameful, bizarre, 'it-could-only-happen-in-Northern-Ireland' episode.
Remember her? Of course you do. Hard to believe it's 14 years since footage of NSW screaming “no surrender” through a broken window during the City Hall flag protests went viral.
The two-word clip was seen by millions across the world, spawned Psycho-style parodies, became a widespread internet meme on social media and even featured in fancy dress parties.
This clearly inspired others too; I'm thinking, for instance, of the 'Twelfth Flasher' and the 'Fake Nun', both of whom have regularly attempted to emulate the global 'success' of No Surrender Woman.
As you probably know — and she'll be gutted if you don't — the Flasher is Tyrone native Clodagh Byrne, who has garnered our attention through a series of public stunts and legal battles.
The nickname speaks to her 'finest hour' when, dressed in an Orange sash, bowler hat and tights, and carrying a traditional bodhrán drum, she marched alongside bands before exposing one of her breasts to the crowd. Shock (and frantic pixelation) all round.
The 33-year-old was fined £300 and labelled an “attention seeker” by the judge, which seemingly only encouraged her.
There followed a suspended sentence for stealing clothes and cosmetics from M&S — which she subsequently donated to charity, describing her actions in court as “genocidal kleptomania” on behalf of the people of Gaza.
Then came a conviction for possession of psilocybin (magic mushrooms) — a charge for which Byrne contested, claiming she was “a psychedelic therapist” (prior to being fined £600).
This woman is skating on thin ice with the judiciary — something her fellow attention seeker Rachel Mulcahy (the aforementioned Fake Nun) will testify to, having been sentenced to 30 days inside after walking down Portadown's Garvaghy Road wearing a Union Flag headdress, shouting obscenities and ordering PSNI officers to shoot her.
A topical, mildly amusing and headline-grabbing act but, all mirth aside, this middle-aged Belfast woman — who insists on being referred to as HH (Her Holiness) Reverend Anna Christian — should never have been behind bars in the first place.
During her recent court case, the judge asked: “HH Reverend — or whatever your name is — if released, would you go back (to the Garvaghy Road)? She replied: “Yes, I'm going straight back,” adding: “Jesus died for you and, if I get the privilege, I'll die for you too if you let me walk the Garvaghy Road.”
Reply: “Bail refused. She's a risk to herself and others.”
Minutes later, Mulcahy could be heard singing loudly from the cells and, having been sentenced for contempt, said “God loves you. Thank you, Jesus. It's a privilege...”
Does this sound like someone who would benefit from — or be less of “a risk to herself and others” — another period behind bars?
Not far from where I live in east Belfast, a man in his sixties performs a 'daddy dance' on the pavement during rush hour most mornings. Will he end up in the slammer too?
The predictable amateur shrink's diagnosis — that someone is merely “a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic” and therefore beyond help — doesn't cut the mustard.
Attention seekers
So-called attention seekers may well be suffering from histrionic personality disorder (HPD) — a chronic condition marked by excessive emotionality — or narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).
Such ailments aren't easily cured but, over time, are treatable to the extent that patients see significant improvement.
Bereft of professional psychotherapy, the attention-seeking remains unhealthily compulsive, leaving others — including local judges — feeling exasperated.
Most of us possess a desire to be 'seen' or appreciated at times — it is, after all, a normal part of the human psyche — but also retain the ability to keep things under control.
I'm not looking down from a high horse here, having written in the past about my own issues with anxiety and depression. You can drive them off, but they're never parked too far away.
We all need a helping hand now and then; the key is acknowledging that, and asking for it.
Last month's latest Twelfth Flasher episode, where Byrne stood making faces behind TUV leader Jim Allister during a press conference about Drumcree — and chased after Jamie Bryson(!) — may have delighted TikTokers but had a meh effect on others: “Oh, her again...”
Meanwhile, Mulcahy — who describes herself as, among other things, an “actress, presenter, model, acrobat, pole dancer and martial artist” — has had previous charges against her withdrawn after psychiatric assessment that was managed through the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
With this already known to the judiciary, how on earth is jailing her either an assistance or a deterrent?
Widow of murdered IRA man loses High Court bid to have his body exhumed
ALAN ERWIN, Belfast Telegraph, November 12th, 2026
The widow of a murdered former IRA prisoner has lost a High Court battle to have his body exhumed.
Dolores McGuigan claimed she was unlawfully denied permission to transfer her husband, Kevin McGuigan's, remains for interment alongside their late daughter.
But a judge ruled yesterday that the Department for Communities was legally entitled to refuse consent.
Mr Justice Rooney also dismissed the challenge based on a breach of the duty of candour in the dispute with her mother-in-law.
McGuigan (53) was shot dead in front of his wife at their home in the Short Strand, east Belfast, in August 2015.
Republicans were suspected of sanctioning the father of nine's murder amid claims he was involved in the killing of former IRA commander Gerard 'Jock' Davison in the Markets area of the city earlier that year.
McGuigan is currently buried in a plot owned by his mother, Margaret McGuigan, at Belfast City Cemetery.
His widow sought to have his remains exhumed so he could be interred in the same grave as their daughter.
In August 2021, the Department for Communities turned down a request to be allowed to move the body.
The decision was taken after the murder victim's mother refused consent to the exhumation. The grave was concreted over in 2019.
Agreement of plot owner needed
Revised policy guidance states that without agreement from the owner, a grave can only be opened in exceptional circumstances.
Mrs McGuigan, as her husband's nearest surviving relative, applied for a judicial review against the department's determination.
She alleged that the refusal breached her entitlement to private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
In one statement, she described the “devastating impact” of her husband's shooting and being unable to take part in the decision-making process about his burial.
Lawyers representing the widow claimed a failure to properly balance her rights against the property rights of her mother-in-law.
Rejecting the alleged breach of Article 8, counsel for the department stressed there was no absolute policy of refusing all bids to relocate bodies.
He also argued that the dispute should be determined by the Chancery Court rather than subjected to a judicial review. During submissions, it was alleged that false statements had advanced in the case.
Backing the department's case, Mr Justice Rooney held that the applicant had not fully complied with a duty of candour. He also rejected grounds of challenge to the decision and policy on which it was based. Finding no breach of Mrs McGuigan's Article 8 rights, he held that the department's determination was lawful.
“The decision-maker proportionally attributed weight to the identified countervailing factors and also to the public interest in protecting graves,” Mr Justice Rooney said.
“It appears to be both perfectly rational and fair that the department would decline to exercise its broad discretionary statutory power to permit an intrusive and intensely personal process, such as an exhumation, in circumstances where entrenched and competing views between the family members persist.
“The applicant has not identified any overriding public interest consideration pointing one way or the other and which renders the failure to permit exhumation disproportionate.”
Unionists don’t get that we’re not British
Irish News, November 12th, 2026
LETTERS
I CAN’T really believe unionism is still trying to hammer nationalism about the Garvaghy Road. All they are doing is hardening our resolve, and boosting Sinn Féin.
I was one of the doubters. I was texting my local councillor and MLAs frequently about the party’s poor performance. I was thinking about voting elsewhere. Now, I am fully back in the fold.
I was on the Garvaghy Road. I spent 12 hours with them overnight, the Saturday of the big rally. I was annoyed I wasn’t there the Sunday morning, but I was at work. When I went, it was like being at Lough Derg, only you could keep your shoes on and have all the tea you wanted.
I went because the days of the Orange walking over Catholics is over. I am not prepared to let them walk over my children, I went for all Irish children. All this nonsense about respect is just a soundbite. Where is the Orange respect for their neighbours? I will be there the next time the Orange try to walk over Catholics too, and I think there will be even more nationalists.
I have no problem with the principle of Orange marching, but the days of marching where you are not wanted are over. Triumphalism is over. Taxpayers paying for band uniforms and musical instruments needs to be over too. The GAA never got the financial help bands or lodges get. I think most nationalists feel this way too.
There is so much going on in the north that nationalists are not happy with. The composition of the PSNI. The BBC and the licence fee, the modern tithe. The constant disrespect of the Irish language. The holding back of business through poor infrastructure, and we will see how far the A5 gets. Casement Park, although
I suspect our own representatives have had a hand in that mess too. The water situation, Lough Neagh and poor waste water management holding up housing development. The DUP cowing to big agriculture all the time.
Unionists, despite their ancestors being here a few hundred years, don’t seem to get we are not British. We are Irish and our youngsters are even more Irish. The language revival, the strength of Comhaltas and Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, convince me the Irish people are coming back to themselves.
I am not sure what it all means for the peace, probably an uneasy peace. Nationalism has no interest in war. Where a united Ireland is? I don’t know, but I know it’s coming and please God I live to see it. But in the meantime, nationalists want and need the north to work. We want our youngsters to have a good future in their homeland.
MICHAEL MULLAN An Ómaigh, Tír Eoghain
