With regard to your article “Belfast judge rules Legacy Act breaches ECHR” (Report, February 29) you report that the judgment found that provisions scrapping new inquests into Troubles-era atrocities violated Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. While all parties, including my commission — the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery — are carefully studying the long and complex judgment, your reporting does not seem to be correct.
In respect of inquests, the judge made no such findings and he held “the court is satisfied that the provisions of the Act leave sufficient scope for the ICRIR to conduct an effective investigation” as required under articles 2 and 3 of the ECHR.
He also observed that having considered the disclosure powers of the ICRIR and the obligations of the state, it seemed the powers of disclosure are article 2/3 compliant and “an improvement” on the situation in relation to inquests which have proven to have limitations in terms of disclosure issues which have been the primary reason for delays.
This is an important point for all to understand about the commission’s commitment to ECHR compliance and we would be grateful if you could remedy this reporting.
Sir Declan Morgan
Chief Commissioner, ICRIR, Belfast, UK
