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NI: Collusion and protection

01 May 1994

The Northern Ireland Office is maintaining its refusal of home protection grants to known targets of loyalist assassination attempts. In May Belfast Councillor Robert Lavery, whose son was shot dead in a loyalist attack on his home, was granted judicial review of the NIO"s refusal to give him a grant on the ground of his Sinn Fein membership.

The reason for refusing the grant was spelt out clearly by the NIO:

"the Secretary of State believes that it would be illogical and improper to expend public monies on the provision of special security measures to protect from terrorist attack persons who themselves are members of a party which supports terrorist violence or, at the very least, does not condemn or criticise such violence."

The judge found nothing wrong with this sentiment, but granted the order on the basis that the NIO was obliged to consider the personal circumstances of each applicant. During the hearing the criteria for eligibility for the protection grants became clear for the first time: only those individuals whose death or injury "could damage or seriously undermine the democratic framework of government in northern Ireland or the effective administration of government and/or the criminal justice systems or the maintenance of law and order" qualify.

In re Robert Lavery's Application, May 1994.