Comments on The Pensive Quill: Prisons for the future..?

From Sandy Boyer: Sinn Féin & Republican Youth confront Owen Paterson over prisoners

Sandy. That's very nice of Gerry to catch Pat...

2012-07-19T23:24:02.109+01:00

Sandy.

That's very nice of Gerry to catch Patterson in the Dail, He should be up in the six counties with Martyboy and Co outside the Gaol with Placards demonstrating with everyone else for the release Of Martin , Marian, and , Gerry, also to stop the strip searches and allow full political status, and there immediate release. Has PSF forgotten who put them were they are, I'm beginning to think they have. Does he still not realise, there is no due process and never has been, its the same old Diplock shit for Republicans but due process for everyone else.

From Sandy Boyer: Gerry Adams Meets Owen Paterson...

2012-07-19T22:10:20.644+01:00

From Sandy Boyer:

Gerry Adams Meets Owen Paterson about Marian Price and Martin Corey

SINN FÉÍN President Gerry Adams TD this afternoon met British Secretary of State Owen Paterson in the Dáil and challenged him on the continued imprisonment of Marian Price and Martin Corey.

The Sinn Féin leader also raised other related prison issues.

The conversation briefly touched on the issues of Corporation Tax and the potential for all-island, cross-Border economic development projects.

However, the main focus of the meeting was the continued imprisonment of Marian Price and the decision by the Secretary of State last week to appeal
the court decision to release Martin Corey, both of which the Sinn Féin leader described as “unjust”.

The Belfast High Court had ruled Corey's detention is a breach of the European Convention of Human Rights and had ordered his release.

Gerry Adams said today:

“Marian Price is not well. Martin Corey was released by the courts. Both of these citizens are entitled to due process, which they have been denied.

They should be released and I put it very strongly to Mr Paterson that this should be done.”

RNU Deplore Mistreatment of Belfast Cogús Prisoner

From Helen McClafferty: Question for written ans...

2012-07-19T09:17:48.564+01:00

From Helen McClafferty:

Question for written answer on 24th July 2012 by Morrow in the Stormont Assembly. AQW13624/11-15

24. Lord Morrow (Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

To ask the Minister of Justice, given the amount of legal aid awarded for Gerry McGeough’s numerous court challenges, and taking into account that all such actions have failed, whether he will instruct that no further funding should be certified to pursue any follow-up actions; and whether he will seek a percentage, of the legal aid awarded to be re-couped from the Gerry McGeough and Family Fund which hosted appeals for donations to cover his legal fees.

The Issue of Legal Aid Is Not A Matter For Lord Morrow
by Helen McClafferty, Chair, USA - Free Gerry McGeough Campaign

What should be highlighted is the ‘triple jobbing’ issue and no doubt there are expenses claimed in respect of each of these positions from taxpayers money of course.

In any case, where legal aid is granted both the solicitors and counsel have a duty to the legal aid fund – which means they must be responsible in their approach when determining if the case has merit and if so to pursue legal aid for that case. They are therefore required to satisfy the NI Legal Services Commission that there is merit in bringing the case in the first place.

This is a stringent test and one that is applied in all cases. This case, and in particular the Appeal, was the subject of an Independent Appeal Committee hearing following which all members were satisfied that legal aid should be granted, on the basis of the material before it and the arguments advanced by solicitors/counsel.

The fact Lord Morrow is asking the Minister to consider instructing that no further funding be granted to Gerry McGeough is inviting him to politically interfere in a decision that should be one for the LSC and not the Justice Dept. This sets a dangerous precedent.

As for the Gerry McGeough Family Fund, Gerry’s legal team have never received any payment from the fund toward legal fees or expenses. All donations to this fund has been given to Gerry's wife and 4 children to help with their survival while Gerry is incarcerated. Therefore Lord Morrow's suggestion that "a percentage of the fees be recouped from the fund" is vindictive, but predictable.

From Helen McClafferty (part 2) EVERYONE HAS A RI...

2012-07-19T00:13:28.788+01:00

From Helen McClafferty (part 2)

EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT

“(c) to defend himself in person or through legal assistance of
his own choosing or, if he has not sufficient means to pay for
legal assistance, to be given it free when the interests of justice so require”.

How low can these pathetic and hypocritical Unionists stoop. What has this English Lord got to say about the total cost of the miscarriage of justice against Gerry McGeough and his family or the cost of Gerry's imprisonment in Maghaberry which, if the English Lord had his way, would see Gerry imprisoned on pre-Good Friday Agreement unproven allegations until 2031. Naturally, this statement comes from a Unionist Politician who not only gets paid as an English Lord, the Baron of Clogher Valley in the County of Tyrone, but who also puts his greedy hand out for his salary as an MLA and as if that is not enough, he is a paid councillor. Maybe the English Lord would like to donate a "percentage" of his earnings as a tripple jobber to cover the cost of the miscarriage of justice against Gerry McGeough. Has he forgotten or simply ignored the total cost of the miscarriages of justice against the Guildford Four, the Birmingham Six or the Maguire Seven to name but a few massive miscarriages of justice against the Irish people by the British with full support from their bootlicking Unionist politicians. Maybe the English Lord would like to cover the cost of bringing British paratroopers to justice for shooting dead unarmed civilians on Bloody Sunday. Ballymurphy, Lord Morrow? Maybe the man who likes to call himself the English Lord would cover the cost of seeking justice for the eighty-three innocent unarmed civilians murdered between 1970 and 1997 in his own County of Tyrone at the hands of British soldiers, RUC, UDR or loyalists in collusion the British forces.

The problem with Unionists such as the English Baron is that they are completely and utterly incapable of comprehending the true meaning of the word justice. They are a breed apart. The forgotten ones. Left behind during the evolution of mankind with the Lord Morrow being the finest example of them all and Postman Pat with his UDR cap not far behind.

Donations made to the Gerry McGeough Family Fund are to help a family survive. Donations are not made to provide legal aid against British injustice and Unionist bigotry and vindictiveness. But the English Lord Morrow who would have us all believe he is a good living Christian soldier would prefer to see a mother and four children starve because they are Catholic.

From Helen McClafferty (part 1): They Are A Breed...

2012-07-19T00:13:06.040+01:00

From Helen McClafferty (part 1):

They Are A Breed Apart. The Forgotten Ones. Left Behind During The Evolution of Mankind. A Fine Example Is The Lord Morrow.
by Damian Herron, NI Chair Free Gerry McGeough Campaign.

The English Lord Morrow is whinging yet again about the cost of legal aid granted to Gerry McGeough. He wants the Minister for Justice David Ford to put a stop on any future legal aid that Gerry McGeough is entitled to receive. He wants to have a "percentage" of the cost of legal aid granted to Gerry McGeough re-couped from the Gerry McGeough Family Fund.

Question for written answer on 24th July 2012 by Morrow in the Stormont Assembly. AQW13624/11-15

24. Lord Morrow (Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

To ask the Minister of Justice, given the amount of legal aid awarded for Gerry McGeough’s numerous court challenges, and taking into account that all such actions have failed, whether he will instruct that no further funding should be certified to pursue any follow-up actions; and whether he will seek a percentage, of the legal aid awarded to be re-couped from the Gerry McGeough and Family Fund which hosted appeals for donations to cover his legal fees.

The Lord Morrow is asking the Minister for Justice to politically interfere with a decision taken by the Legal Services Commission and this sets a dangerous precedent.

When it comes to the case of Gerry McGeough, the English Lord Morrow refuses to recognise the European Convention on Human Rights.

The ECHR: Article 6: Right to a fair trial: Paragraph 3

White line picket the CAHWT march on Wednesday

Emmet, great work here. It helps us achieve a bet...

2012-07-17T13:20:26.496+01:00

Emmet,

great work here. It helps us achieve a better undestanding of what is happening in the jails.

Emmet good to see you getting your teeth into the ...

2012-07-17T11:57:44.887+01:00

Emmet
good to see you getting your teeth into the issue. You and your energy levels have ended up in the right place. As well as prison conditions, my eyebrows have been raised at the number of people being found dead in Maghabery. Keep it up Emmet. Best of luck.