“Give Him A Fair Trial, And Then Hang Him”

Cáit Trainor of the Release Seamus Daly Campaign with a statement from 14 October 2015 about the ongoing detention of the County Monaghan republican.

 
Yesterday, October 13th 2015 in Omagh Magistrates Court the case of Seamus Daly was once up before Judge Bernie Kelly. For nearly two years Seamus has been incarcerated in Maghaberry Jail, Co. Antrim and it is only now going to Preliminary Inquiry.

During the course of yesterday’s session the Judge had to decide on legal counsel for the preliminary inquiry, which at this stage looks set to go ahead in December 2015.

The Prosecution was granted a solicitor, a Senior Barrister and two junior barristers to represent the state at the Preliminary inquiry. In stark contrast to this the defence was granted only one solicitor and one junior Barrister.

A preliminary inquiry is designed to assess whether there is even a case in order to bring it to trial, to neglect to give the defendant adequate legal representation in comparison to the prosecution is a clear breach of natural justice, stacking the cards before the preliminary even begins in the prosecutions favour. Any person has the right be presumed innocent until proven guilty, the ongoing farce against Seamus Daly is shaping up to be a case of “give him a fair trial, then hang him” with now even the pretence of fairness being removed.

With Seamus’ Case if it goes ahead, set to be the most serious legal case ever brought before any Court in the UK and Ireland it is imperative that the defence has adequate legal counsel, the laws of innocent until proven guilty must apply and so too must the right to a defence.

2 comments:

  1. Junior barrister!.....says it all...Bernie Kelly should revise her understanding of what legally constitutes justice....

    ReplyDelete

  2. what else would you expect from old judge Bernie smelly ?
    her most prominent feature is ineptitude

    ReplyDelete