Inquests and Disputed Killings in Northern Ireland
01 March 1992
Committee on the Administration of Justice, Pamphlet no 18, Belfast 1992 IR4.00/£3.50 stg. This pamphlet shows that out of the 75 deaths caused by RUC members and soldiers since November 1982, inquests are still pending in 45 cases. It pinpoints how Northern Ireland's inquest system has been weakened since changes enacted in 1926 and subsequently, and argues that inquests are no longer viable courts of inquiry where disputed deaths are concerned. Using principles contained in the UN's Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, the pamphlet calls for a number of reforms designed to ensure that inquests are held promptly, that the interests of relatives are properly represented and that coroners are empowered to compel witnesses to testify before a jury. Finally, it calls on the British government to establish a committee to review the functioning of inquests.