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Top judge calls for parallel legacy process amid Stormont impasse

Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan has urged our politicians to come to an agreement so that he can do his job. Picture by Hugh Russell
Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan has urged our politicians to come to an agreement so that he can do his job. Picture by Hugh Russell Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan has urged our politicians to come to an agreement so that he can do his job. Picture by Hugh Russell

NORTHERN Ireland's top judge has called for a parallel process to deal with legacy matters while the Stormont impasse continues.

Sir Declan Morgan has again outlined his frustration at the collapse of the Assembly in January and has urged local politicians to come to an agreement to expedite legacy issues.

In the absence of such an agreement the Lord Chief Justice has suggested preliminary work could take place without the need for elected representatives.

"One of the matters I've been looking at recently is the question of the oral history archive.

I've noticed a number of recent books and articles suggesting that such an approach can have a healing aspect in relation to divided communities so that you have ordinary people telling something of the tale of how they reacted to events and it seems to me that that's the sort of thing that preliminary work could be done on by members of the community themselves without waiting for political direction," he told UTV.

In the same interview the senior judge said there "must be concerns" whether inquests into some of the most controversial killings of the Troubles would ever be completed, but said it was was down to political leaders to resolve their differences and find a solution.

He added it was "very difficult to see how ordinary people can be expected to wait much longer".

In February last year the Lord Chief Justice said the remaining legacy inquests in Northern Ireland could be dealt with in five years if he received the necessary funding from the Stormont government. He proposed setting up a specialist unit with its own staffing and resources to tackle the unresolved issues.

The judge has yet to receive a response to his request and speaking to the BBC outlined his "deep frustration" 18 months on.

"Each month that passes pushes back by another month the timescale within which all of the outstanding cases can be completed," he said.

Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice said the onus was on the UK government to deal with legacy issues.

Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice said the onus was on the UK government to deal with legacy issues.
Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice said the onus was on the UK government to deal with legacy issues. Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice said the onus was on the UK government to deal with legacy issues.

"In respect of inquests the Executive do not hold the Article 2 responsibility, it is very much the responsibility of the UK government and we would call on the Secretary of State and the UK government to immediately provide the resources for inquests."

It is expected that just one legacy inquest will be heard next year.