PFC letter to Chief Constable following the arrest and detention of Derry republican Tony Taylor
PFC | 06 May 2016
The PFC has maintained on-going contact with the solicitor acting on behalf of Derry republican Tony Taylor and we share the widespread concerns at his continuing detention without trial. We have raised these concerns with the Chief Constable and at meetings with different Justice Ministers and...
Priest joins calls for release of Derry republican prisoner Tony Taylor
Seamus McKinney, The Irish News | 08 October 2016
A DERRY priest has joined a campaign for the release from prison of leading dissident republican Tony Taylor. Holy Family parish priest Fr Paddy O’Kane said he also prayed for Taylor’s case during Sunday Mass last week.
British Secretary of State Paul Murphy makes announcement on Hamill, Nelson and Wright Inquiries
PFC | 16 November 2004
Below is an Northern Ireland Office press release issued earlier today. The PFC has not yet formed a view on the adequacy of the terms of reference or the acceptability of the members as proposed. This will, to an extent, be determined by the views of the families.
For God and Ulster: An Alternative Guide to the Loyal Orders
PFC | 11 April 1998
This alternative guide to the Loyal Orders is an attempt to fill a gap, a gap in information about semi-secret organisations which have played a major role in the history of this island and a gap in understanding as to why a significant number of people have a problem with those organisations. Few...
Outlines criteria for internment – explains why policy does not allow for arrest of loyalists except under certain circumstances. Poor quality copy but other copies below provide same detail.
Letter from Secretary of State William Whitelaw to General Officer Commanding Harry Tuzo outlining criteria for internment orders and why loyalists 'may not fall' within the new Order.
At point 1 (apologies for the quality of the copy) reference is made to a meeting at Stormont Castle on November 29 1972 where the GOC (General Officer Commanding - the British army) was asked to "draft an arrest policy covering the UVF and other extreme loyalist elements, though not the UDA per se."
Discusses the changes that would be required and asked a fascinating question at paragraph 4! Just what did the RUC object to? See memo from AW Stephens above.
Arrest policy for protestants - loose minute December 1972
MoD memo discussing the criteria that might be applied 'if and when' loyalists would be detained. Refers to loyalist violence including 'comparatively harmless vigilante activity'.
Note of a meeting in the Northern Ireland Office on 13 November 1974 including officials from various ministries, the Attorney General's Office and the Treasury Solicitor's Office. The 'Counsel' referred to in the document is almost certainly the legal counsel representing the British Government at the European court case taken by the Irish Government in respect of multiple violations of...
De-proscription of unlawful organisations (added May 2018)
Declassified 1974 NIO discussion doc on de-proscription of UVF and Sinn Fein. The juxtaposition of Sinn Fein (as opposed to the IRA) with the UVF tells us much about British government attitudes to loyalist paramilitary organisations. At the time the UDA remained legal and it would be another 18 years before London finally accepted that the UFF was nothing more...