Murder Of Rosemary Nelson

EDM number 425 in 1998-99, proposed by Ken Livingstone on 15/03/1999.

That this House extends its deepest condolences to the family of human rights solicitor Rosemary Nelson and expresses its utter abhorrence at her barbaric murder on 15th March; notes that Rosemary Nelson had complained that RUC officers had made death threats against her, stating to the International Operations and Human Rights Sub-committee of the United States House International Relations Committee hearing on Human Rights in Northern Ireland on 29th September 1998 that 'my clients have reported an increasing number of incidents when I have been abused by RUC officers, including several death threats against myself and members of my family', and that Mrs Nelson pointed out that these threats had worsened since she began to represent the residents of the Garvaghy Road; is deeply concerned that Mrs Nelson concluded that her complaints about RUC threats to her life received no satisfactory response; notes that Mrs Nelson pointed out on 10th December 1998 that 'These threats are taken seriously. No one has ever been brought to justice for the murder of defence lawyer Pat Finucane in February 1989'; further notes that the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers reported the threats against Mrs Nelson in his 1998 report and that the Rapporteur suggested that her life was in danger; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to establish an independent judicial inquiry into Mrs Nelson's complaints about death threats against her by RUC officers and what measures were taken by the security forces to protect Mrs Nelson's life.

This motion has been signed by a total of 29 MPs.