I was glad to welcome the family of Rosemary Nelson to Government Buildings today. They were accompanied by a number of human rights organisations. I took the opportunity to review with the family recent developments in the case, which has been of great concern to the Government. Rosemary Nelson’s murder was an attack on a dedicated and committed defence lawyer and human rights defender. It was also an attack on the legal system itself.
I acknowledge the enormous effort and resources which the investigative team, under the Deputy Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary, Colin Port, has put into bringing the perpetrators to justice and I wish them well in their endeavours. We all want to see the perpetrators of this foul murder brought to justice as quickly as possible.
However, I recognise that Rosemary Nelson’s case raises wider issues of concern to her family, to the public and to the international community. This is reflected in the great number of calls, both nationally and internationally, for a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding her death. It is essential that the truth be established in a manner which will command the confidence of the whole community. For this reason, I am of the view that an independent, judicial public inquiry needs to be established into all of the circumstances surrounding her death.
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