Malachi O'Doherty

The peace process was saved in 1998, yet the compromises made then nearly broke unionism afterwards, writes @malodoherty belfasttelegraph.co.uk/comment/opinio… belfasttelegraph.co.uk/comment/opinio…

You can’t rewrite a political struggle as crime - not in 1981, and not today. open.substack.com/pub/senmacbrda…

🚨BREAKING: Gerry Adams welcomes end of 'case that should never have been taken' and has 'nothing but sympathy for claimants'. 🗣Former @sinnfeinireland President @GerryAdamsSF has welcomed the “emphatic end” of a High Court damages claim against him by three victims of Provisional IRA bombings, saying the case “should never have been brought”. 🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 was in Belfast. On the final day of a two-week trial, lawyers for the victims said the claim against the former Sinn Féin president had been “discontinued” with “no order as to costs”. John Clark, a victim of the 1973 Old Bailey bombing in London; Jonathan Ganesh, a victim of the 1996 London Docklands bombing; and Barry Laycock, a victim of the 1996 Arndale shopping centre bombing in Manchester, had sued Mr Adams for £1 in damages. The case centred on allegations he was a leading member of the Provisional IRA at the time, including on its Army Council. Mr Adams told the court in London he had “no involvement whatsoever” in the bombings and was never a member of the Provisional IRA. His lawyers argued the case should be thrown out as an abuse of process. After a delay to proceedings on Friday, Ms Studd told the court the case would be discontinued after “developments overnight”. She said the development was “related” to arguments around whether the claim was an “abuse of process”. The judge, Mr Justice Swift, said: “I am happy to make an order in the terms the parties have agreed.”