Failure to prosecute a 'sad indictment' of system

HUMAN RIGHTS:THE FAILURE to prosecute those involved in the killing of solicitor Rosemary Nelson was a "sad indictment of the justice system in Northern Ireland", according to Amnesty International.

Halya Gowan, a researcher on human rights in the North, said “the failure to learn that repeated omissions can amount to collusion is another equally sad example of selective learning from the past”.

Commenting on the report of the public inquiry into the killing, Ms Gowan said: “Rosemary Nelson carried out her professional work courageously within a fraught environment of sectarian violence and intimidation because she believed in the rule of law and justice for all. Her loss was deeply felt by those whose lives she touched.”

She added: “Rosemary Nelson was threatened, intimidated, and eventually killed, simply for doing her work as a lawyer and defending human rights.”

Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Dara Calleary paid tribute to Nelson’s family for their bravery and tenacity in fighting for justice over a long and difficult period.

Mr Calleary said he intended to study the report’s findings and recommendations in detail.

“I welcome the fact that the inquiry team has concluded its work, and I hope this will go some way to begin to bring closure to Rosemary Nelson’s relatives and friends,” he said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment in advance of analysing the report.

Independent Dublin North Central TD Finian McGrath, chairman of the technical group, said Nelson “worked in the judicial system in the North for many years and suffered as a result of her work. The quality of policing towards her was appalling and totally unprofessional.”