The Court of Appeal in Belfast today ruled in favour of Jean McBride, mother of murdered Belfast teenager Peter McBride, in her appeal against an earlier judicial review ruling accepting the British Army's reasons for retaining the two soldier's convicted of the murder of her son.
In a split decision, the court ruled today that the reasons given by the army board for the retention of Scots Guards Mark Wright and James Fisher did not constitute the "exceptional reasons" required under Queen's regulations regarding the retention of soldiers who had received custodial sentences. The Court of Appeal stated that, while it does not have the authority to order the Ministry of Defence to accept its ruling, it expected the Ministry of Defence to take full note of it.
A PFC spokesperson said, "It is now up to the Ministry of Defence and the entire British government to accept yet another ruling by a Belfast court in favour of Jean McBride. Once again it has been found that the decision by the British army to retain two convicted murderers was and is totally unjustified, and this must be rectified straight away. Wright and Fisher must be discharged from the British army immediately."
Members of the McBride family will soon travel to London to personally deliver this latest judgement to No 10 Downing Street.
The Pat Finucane Centre is urging everyone who supports the McBride family in their campaign to contact Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Ministry of Defence to demand that they accept this court ruling and discharge the two convicted murderers from the British army immediately.
Email, fax and phone messages should be sent to:
PM Tony Blair: remote-printer.HonTonyBlair@441718399044.iddd.tpc.int
Tel Downing St at (+44) 207 930 4433 Fax (+44) 207 925 0918
Contact the Armed Forces Minister at public@ministers.mod.uk
Contact the Ministry of Defence at webmaster@army.mod.uk
PRESS RELEASE
13th JUNE 2003
Five human rights organisations have today welcomed the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal's judgment in respect of the murder of Peter McBride in 1992. The McBride family have for years been challenging the decision by the army to continue to employ Guardsmen Fisher and Wright even though they had been convicted of Mr. McBride's murder.
The Court of Appeal today found that the reasons given by the army for the retention of Fisher and Wright did not amount to the "exceptional reasons" required under Queen's regulations dealing with soldiers convicted of criminal offences. As a result of this judgment the Army Board will have to reconsider the case yet again.
A spokesperson for Amnesty International, British Irish Rights Watch, the Committee on the Administration of Justice, the Pat Finucane Centre and Liberty said:-
"It is clear that in deciding not to discharge Guardsmen Fisher and Wright, the army has thus far failed to recognise the gravity of the human rights violation which they committed. The decision to "exceptionally" retain the two soldiers in the armed forces has fostered impunity and undermined effective redress for the victim's family."
For further information contact:
Amnesty International Press Office: 0207 413 5566
British Irish Rights Watch: 0208 772 9161
Committee on the Administration of Justice: 028 90 961 122
Pat Finucane Centre: 079 89 323 418
Liberty Press Office: 0207 378 3656