Northern Ireland: McBride third judicial review
01 September 2003
In the Belfast High Court today, Friday 5 December, Justice Weir granted leave for a full judicial review in the matter of the Ministry of Defence's decision to continue to retain the soldiers who murdered Peter McBride in the British Army. This is the third time that lawyers acting for Peter's mother, Jean McBride, have brought the issue before the High Court in judicial review proceedings.
In court today was Peter's sister, Kelly McBride, who recently stood as a candidate in the London Brent East by-election and Robert Evans, a sitting Labour Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and defeated Labour candidate in the by-election, who flew to Belfast today to meet the McBride family.
UK: Kelly McBride standing in London by election
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8 September update
Kelly McBride, the sister of Peter McBride, is standing as an independent candidate in a parliamentary by election in Brent East in northeast London. The young mother from North Belfast lodged her nomination papers at Brent Town Hall last week, saying that while she did not realistically expect to win the election she hoped to win justice for her family (see below). A spokesman for the Justice for Peter McBride Campaign said:
"This constituency, which includes Kilburn, has the largest Irish vote in Britain. By coming to London, where the decisions that have so affected Kelly's family have been made, we intend to give the electorate here the chance to voice their feelings on this issue. The McBride family already have the support of most political parties in Ireland, north and south, the Irish government, Amnesty International and other human rights groups. By standing here they hope to get the support of the people of Brent East, people who can see that employing and re-arming two convicted murderers is simply wrong."
More information:
Justice for Peter McBride Campaign on +44(0)7966-703-137; Brent Council election website:
http://www.brent.gov.uk/elections.nsf/24878f4b00d4f0f68025663c006c7944/bc06308580a9194880256d900038e7f5%21OpenDocument
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Northern Ireland: Human Rights minister under fire over murdered teenager
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Protestors today (19 August 2003) disrupted the launch of a new transport system in Belfast, which was being hosted by John Spellar MP, the Northern Ireland Office Minister for Human Rights, Equality and Criminal Justice. The minister was targeted after sitting on the Army Board that decided that the two Scots Guards convicted of the murder of north Belfast teenager Peter McBride should be allowed to remain in the army (see below). Members of the Pat Finucane Centre held up banners demanding justice for Peter McBride as Spellar attempted to launch a new Global Positioning System for Belfast buses. Speaking afterwards, PFC spokesperson Shane O'Curry said:
"If this man thinks he can walk in here and tackle issues of human rights, equality and criminal justice while ignoring the abuse of those issues that he has been involved in, then he needs a global positioning system of his own. This man is not suitable to hold any such office, and should be removed immediately."
The murder of Peter McBride
On 4 September 1992, 18 year old Peter McBride was shot dead after running away from a patrol of the Scots Guards, a British Army Regiment on foot patrol in the New Lodge area of Belfast. Two years later his killers, Guardsmen Fisher and Wright, were sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder. The judge stated:
"I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that there is no reasonable possibility that Guardsman Fisher held or may have held an honest belief that the deceased carried or may have carried a coffee jar bomb" [as the two had claimed].
Following a campaign spearheaded by