From The Detail a discussion on the reaction to the decision of the UK Supreme Court to quash convictions of Gerry Adams.
By Brian Gormally
It was only to be expected that there would be an emotional reaction. On May 13, 2020 the Supreme Court quashed the 1975 convictions of Gerry Adams for attempting to escape from lawful custody.
The retired politician, for some a hero, for others a hate figure without comparison, was left with no criminal convictions and his internment without trial deemed unlawful.
That the highest UK court could exonerate this ‘enemy of the state’ might seem, to some, an indication of how far we have come in the past half century. To others it could be savoured as one of history’s delicious ironies but to others again, it appears to be a betrayal.
Nonetheless, the reaction of Trevor Ringland, known for peace campaigning, writing in the News Letter on May 16, seems a little extreme.
In a disturbing image, he argues that the decision:
walked on…the graves of those who, throughout the history of Northern Ireland’s Troubles, strove to uphold the rule of law, whether it was soldiers, police officers or his (Lord Justice Brian Kerr) colleagues in the legal profession … Why was he not excused from this duty?
Continue reading @ The Detail.
