Calls grow for Guildford inquests to be reopened
accountability. We beg you, please help us, and thank you all.”
Justice4 the21 has said it could apply for legal aid funding, but said “experience shows” it would be unlikely to be completed within the deadline for such High Court applications.
The basis of the judicial review application will be to seek a ruling on whether the coroner’s decision was compliant and lawful.
The campaigners have said only an inquest that considers what they believe are “the core issues relating to the bomb makers, bomb planters and their associates” will be of any value.
A spokesman for KRW Law, which represents 10 of the families, said: “Any application for legal aid to seek permission to judicially review the decision of the coroner would take excessive time or be rejected in any event.
“Therefore our clients are using Crowdfunding to resource this fresh challenge in their quest for truth, justice and accountability on behalf of their loved ones.”
The Birmingham bombings occurred on November 21, 1974.
Ten people died when a bomb exploded in a duffel bag in the Mulberry Bush pub at 20.17pm. A second bomb went off 10 minutes later in the Tavern in the Town, leaving 11 more dead.
A total of 222 were injured in the attacks. LAWYERS involved in the reopened Birmingham bombings inquests have urged a fresh review of the Guildford blasts.
KRW Law is arguing that the inquests into Guildford never closed as the convictions of three men and a woman — Paul Hill, Gerry Conlon, Paddy Armstrong and Caroline Richardson — were later quashed.
Coroner’s papers seen by the BBC show that there was only one open hearing after the Guilford attacks in 1974.
IRA bombs exploded in two pubs in the garrison town, killing five people and injuring scores more.
Soldiers Ann Hamilton (19), Caroline Slater (18), William Forsyth (18) and John Hunter (17) died in the blast at the Horse & Groom on October 5 along with plasterer Paul Craig, who was 21.
Inquests into the Birmingham bombings were reopened last year by coroner Louise Hunt, who said a large amount of evidence related to the case had never been heard.
Christopher Stanley from KRW said there were obvious parallels between the Guildford and Birmingham cases.
He said he believed there would be “sufficient grounds” to reopen the Guildford inquest and that there had never been an independent investigation into the bombings.
A spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office said it had not received an application.
She said: “If an application is received we will consider it carefully.” Last month KRW made a request for the Garda to interview self-confessed IRA bomber Michael Hayes after he said that he accepted “collective responsibility” for the Birmingham attacks in a BBC interview.