UK Government takes legal action over GAA official Sean Brown killing

The UK Government is taking legal action relating to the inquest of a senior GAA official killed by loyalists in 1997.

The family told UTV they were 'beyond disappointed'.

In March a coroner called for a public inquiry into the murder of Sean Brown after ruling the case could not proceed due to the withholding of sensitive files.

Mr Justice Kinney said his ability to examine the death had been “compromised” by the extent of confidential state material being excluded from the proceedings on national security grounds.

He called on Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton Harris to establish a public inquiry - with the deadline passing this week.

A UK Government spokesperson said they were applying for leave to take a judicial review relating to the inquest. They did not state the reasons for the action.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage given the matter is now the subject of judicial consideration," they added.

It is understood, however, the nature of the action centres on the partial release of sensitive information during proceedings.

Sean Brown, 61, was abducted and killed by loyalists as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Club in Co Londonderry in May 1997. No one has been convicted of his murder.

The inquest, which began in March 2023 has heard how a number of people linked to the the killing were state agents.

It has also been alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning.

The coroner criticised the way the state parties had handled the disclosure process, branding repeated delays “deplorable and, frankly, inexcusable”.

He said the extent of material he had agreed to exempt from being used as evidence at the inquest meant he could not comply with his statutory duty to investigate the circumstances of Mr Brown’s death.

In a statement, the family of Sean Brown said: "Not only is their announcement of judicial review proceedings an attack on the independence of the judiciary, but it is also an attack on the truth.

"These proceedings are clear in their intention. They are an extension of the intentions of the cynical and morally bankrupt Legacy Act, in that they are an attack on the truth.

"The State is terrified that their carefully curated official history of the conflict is now being perfected by judicially endorsed legal facts, hence their attempts to deny victims of access to the courts and access to justice."

The family's solicitor Niall Murphy said he was concerned that the legal action would tie up proceedings for years and that family members were being re-traumatised. He also questioned why the government did not question the release of the information at the time.

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