Gerry Adams – Time for Truth

by Innocent Victims of Terror (IVT)

Gerry Adams – Time for Truth

by Innocent Victims of Terror (IVT)
Innocent Victims of Terror (IVT)
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Justice Denied, Victims Forgotten.
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Justice Denied, Victims Forgotten.
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Latest: March 30, 2024

Important Update

Dear Supporters,

We have an important update in our claim against Gerry Adams for the bombing campaign during the Troubles, where we were amongst the thousands injured.

In November last year, our lawye…

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We are 3 victims of PIRA terrorist attacks who, as a result, all suffered terrible and life-changing injuries from which we have never recovered.

For decades the Provisional IRA waged a campaign of terror against and across the United Kingdom resulting in the deaths of 1,705 men, women, and children, and life changing injuries to tens of thousands more like us.

Over the years, many witnesses have come forward, with compelling evidence, to allege that, for decades, PIRA was under the leadership of Gerry Adams. If true, then Adams may be responsible over 1,300 terrorist murders; a figure that dwarfs any associated with even the UK’s most prolific serial killers.  Yet, there still has never been a proper inquiry into his alleged role in the Troubles. Meanwhile, Adams has always strenuously denied being a member of PIRA, let alone its leader.

To date, Adams has never been obliged to account for the allegations against him. This is why, in May 2022, we filed a civil claim against Adams for adjudication by the High Court in England.  

We are not doing this for money.  Our claim is for only £1. Instead, we are doing it solely to establish the truth and secure some form of justice. Not just for ourselves, but for all PIRA’s victims.

At a time when the UK government is introducing legislation that will prevent any future legal actions associated with the Troubles, we felt it necessary to bring our case to court to compel Adams to engage in an effective truth and reconciliation process.

Should, in response to our civil claims, Adams agree to give a public, full, and honest account of the role he played in the Troubles then we shall consider withdrawing our claims.  If not, we will place the evidence before the court for it to decide in a process that Adams can neither avoid nor ignore.

We have had enough of the PIRA’s efforts to rewrite the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland to establish the fiction that the only victims were of the British Army and that the PIRA were just freedom fighters.  They were not.  They were murderers who terrorised our country for three decades.  

To be clear. We are not political. We are English citizens. The future of Northern Ireland should be for it to decide. However, we can no longer tolerate being ignored by a system that has elevated terrorists to heroes and resigned the victims to history.  

More importantly, as recent events have indicated, there can be no lasting peace in Northern Ireland without a proper accounting of the truth, from all sides. Through multiple inquests, inquires, and prosecutions of British soldiers, one stakeholder in the troubles – the British State - has shown its willingness to be held to account.  Now it’s the turn of others.  Through an exploration of the truth, it is our sincere hope that this case may ultimately contribute to a legacy of peace.

We are claiming Adams directed a series of IRA bombings as a senior member, if not the leader, of PIRA between 1973 and 1996.  

These are:

  • The Old Bailey, London, 8 March 1973, in which 243 people were injured and one man later died;
  • Docklands, London, 9 February 1996, in which 2 people were killed and over a 100 people were injured. 
  • Arndale Centre, Manchester, 15 June 1996, in which over 200 were injured. 

These were the FIRST bomb, the LAST BOMB and the bomb that ended the IRA ceasefires of 1994-1996.  

If the court accepts that Adams directed these attacks then it may also be demonstrated that, as a senior member, if not leader, of PIRA he played a role in every major PIRA attack over three decades. 

Finally, our claim is also against the PIRA itself. Absurdly, due to their very nature as unlawful organisations, a terror group cannot currently be brought to court as they are not recognised as a legal entity. We hope that our case will change the law in this regard. Not for ourselves, but for future generations of victims of terrorism. 

Many terror groups have significant and identifiable assets that could be targeted and seized through civil actions for the benefit of their victims.

Please note that the funds raised through this campaign are not for the case in its entirety.  Our initial target of £100,000 will fund these legal proceedings up to (and including) the disclosure stage, which is the point when both parties request to see any relevant documents from each other and may seek disclosure of evidence from third parties also, and the first case management conference.  Once we have reached that stage, we will assess the position and, if it is necessary, we will launch a further campaign to take us through to the trial.

We are represented by leading human rights lawyers McCue Jury & Partners LLP. They have a particular specialism in representing victims of terrorism and taking on historical cases when all hope had been lost for achieving justice. McCue Jury & Partners have secured significant wins including the cases of Breslin & Ors V. McKevitt & Ors (on behalf of victims of the Real IRA 1998 Omagh bombing), Young v Downey (on behalf of victims of the IRA 1972 Hyde Park bombing) and Murray v Mabrouk (the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher).  Due to McCue Jury’s successful track record with taking on and winning Legacy cases, we know we’re in good hands.

To bring this action and to succeed we need your help. Please donate as well as share this far and wide to ensure we secure the funding to deliver justice for the forgotten victims.

We sincerely thank you for your generosity. Please stay involved and support this cause. Justice denied; victims forgotten.

Update 2

Innocent Victims of Terror (IVT)

March 30, 2024

Important Update

Dear Supporters,

We have an important update in our claim against Gerry Adams for the bombing campaign during the Troubles, where we were amongst the thousands injured.

In November last year, our lawyers attended an initial court hearing at the High Court in London to hear an application brought by Gerry Adams. As you may have seen in the press, Adams’ lawyers argued that the judge should throw out the claims brought against PIRA.

Our lawyers, McCue Jury & Partners and barrister Anne Studd KC, fiercely defended the submissions, arguing that Adams was liable to us not only in his individual capacity but as a representative for PIRA.

Adams also crucially sought to remove costs protection from our case, which would have exposed us as victims of terrorism to huge financial penalties if the claim was unsuccessful (something which is contrary to the general rule in personal injury claims). He sought to recover over £120,000 from us for the application, which we consider to have been an attempt to intimidate us into ceasing our claims.

In summary, the Court ruled that we could not sue the Provisional IRA, because it is not a legal entity. We say that the law must change so that illegal organisations do not benefit from protection under the law as a result of their being illegal.

Importantly, the judge rejected Adams attempt to remove costs protection from this case, which is a crucial victory for us. The case will now proceed and Adams has been given until 12 April 2024 to file his defence. 

We will continue our fight to prove Adams' involvement in the bombing campaign which turned our lives, and the lives of thousands of others, upside down.

We are at a critical stage in the litigation and need to raise as much money as possible so that our lawyers can present the best case possible.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us in this journey so far. We could not do it without you.

Sincerely,

The Claimants

Update 1

Innocent Victims of Terror (IVT)

April 11, 2023

Continue the Fight for Justice:

Dear Supporters,

We are reaching out to you once again to update you and ask for your continued support in our ongoing fight for justice and truth.  We are grateful for the donations and encouragement you have already provided, which have helped us get to where we are now.

As you may already know, our case is about holding Gerry Adams accountable for his alleged leadership of the IRA and seeking justice for the thousands of victims of its terrorist campaign. Our legal team has been working tirelessly to gather evidence and file our claim, which has now been served on Adams and transferred from the County Court to the High Court in London.

However, Adams' lawyers have filed an application on several technical points to avoid having to file a Defence in which Adams must either admit to his leadership of the IRA or deny it under oath.  This is a common tactic used by IRA defendants in other civil cases to frustrate proceedings.  The High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice will hear Adams' application in early July.

One of Adams’ applications is to seek to strike out the case against the IRA itself, which is also a defendant.  But at the same time, he has denied any association with the IRA whatsoever. If that is correct, why is he spending money on lawyers to defend the IRA in court?

After this hearing, the Court will order Adams to file his Defence and schedule a case management hearing to set the timetable for the rest of the proceedings.  We will keep you informed of our progress.

We urgently need your continued support to bring Adams to justice.  Please donate again to our crowdfunding campaign (https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/ivt/) and share our link with others.  Your donations will help us continue our fight for justice and truth.

Thank you for standing with us in this important cause.

Sincerely,

The Claimants

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