LONDON (AP) – Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams is facing a lawsuit brought by three people injured in bombings by the Irish Republican Army dating back more than 50 years, a judge announced Friday.
Mr Justice Michael Soule ruled that Mr Adams could be sued as an individual but not on behalf of the IRA. The judge also dismissed his claims against the IRA, saying it was not a corporation and could not be sued.
Mr Adams was one of the most influential figures in the decades-long conflict in Northern Ireland, leading the IRA-linked party Sinn Féin from 1983 to 2018. He has always denied being a member of the IRA, although his former colleagues claim he was one of its leaders.
March 8, 1973: Police and emergency services stand in the rubble outside London's Old Bailey after a car bomb explodes. The Provisional IRA claimed responsibility for the attack. (Photo credit: Les Graves/Fox Photos/Getty Images)
The three plaintiffs cited three decades of violence involving Irish republican and pro-British extremists and British soldiers, and accused Adams of being responsible for bombings in Britain during the “turbulent” period. trying to prove it. Approximately 3,600 people were killed, most of them in Northern Ireland, but the IRA also detonated bombs in Britain.
The three plaintiffs are John Clark, a victim of the 1973 London Old Bailey bombing, Jonathan Ganesh, a victim of the 1996 London Docklands bombing, and victim of the 1996 Arndale Shopping Center bombing in Manchester. Barry Laycock. They claim that Adams was a key member of the IRA during these events and was a member of the decision-making Army Council.
They told the court that Mr Adams “acted with others” to “bomb mainland Britain” and was “directly responsible” for the decision to plant the devices in 1973 and 1996.
If they win, they are seeking just 1 pound ($1.27) “for defense purposes”.
IRA-affiliated Sinn Féin becomes the largest party in Northern Ireland local electionshttps://t.co/EXZum8DQSM
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) May 21, 2023
The case could be one of the last legal actions by victims of the Troubles to seek full justice after the controversial Estates and Settlements Act barred them from filing in May last year. is high.
Lawyers for the victims said the lawsuit, filed in 2022, was the last to succeed.
The judge ruled that if Adams wins the case, he won't be able to recover his attorney's fees, but if he loses, he will have to pay the victims' legal costs.
Adams had challenged that protection for claimants in personal injury cases. Victims of the bombing claimed the move was bullying to get them to drop the charges.
“This is a clear victory for all victims and survivors of IRA terrorism,” said Jury barrister Matthew. “Obvious attempts by Adams and his legal team to intimidate them into dropping their claims will of course fail, and their case will continue.”
Ms Adams' lawyer, Seamus Collins, told the BBC that legal costs will be discussed in court next week.
Easter Rising: Police fire bombs in Northern Ireland on peace deal anniversaryhttps://t.co/9WrH7uVJqM
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 10, 2023
