Victims of Provisional IRA bombings in England will discontinue their damages claim against former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.
Mr Adams was being sued for £1 in damages by three men injured in the blasts in the 1970s and 1990s.
John Clark, a victim of the 1973 Old Bailey bombing in London; Jonathan Ganesh, a 1996 London Docklands bombing victim; and Barry Laycock, a victim of the 1996 Arndale shopping centre bombing in Manchester, all alleged that Mr Adams was a leading member of the Provisional IRA on those dates.
The former Sinn Féin president denied the allegations and was defending the claim, telling the court earlier this week that he had “no involvement whatsoever” in the bombings and was never a member of the Provisional IRA.
On Friday, the last day of the two-week trial, Anne Studd KC, who was representing the victims, told the High Court that the claim would be discontinued with “no order as to costs” after “proceedings developed overnight”.
Mr Adams said: “This decision brings to an emphatic end a case that should never have been brought. I contested this case and defended myself against the smears and false accusations being levelled against me.
“I asserted the legitimacy of the republican cause and the right of the people of Ireland to freedom and self-determination. I do so again.”
In written submissions for the trial, Ms Studd said that the three men claimed that none of the bombings “took place without the knowledge and agreement” of Mr Adams in his role in the Provisional IRA and of its seven-man Army Council.
She continued that the men believed that Mr Adams was “as involved as the people who planted and detonated those bombs”.
Gerry Adams appeared in court earlier this week wearing a Palestine flag badge
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In his evidence, Mr Adams said that opponents of Sinn Féin, of which he was president from 1983 to 2018, “have repeatedly sought to conflate” the party with the Provisional IRA.
Mr Adams stressed that they are “separate organisations”, adding that he had “no involvement in or advance knowledge of” any of the bombings.
The former MP for Belfast West added he was “never a member of the IRA or its Army Council”, telling the court on Tuesday that he was “glad that the IRA has left the stage”.
He also said that while he believed in the “broad principle that people have the right to resist occupation”, he was “very, very clear that there were dastardly things that were done that should never have been done”.
Supporters gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice throughout the week
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Edward Craven KC, for Mr Adams, told the court in London that evidence that Mr Adams was involved in the bombings was “extremely limited and we say bordering on non-existent”.
The barrister also said that the claim should be dismissed for being brought too late, suggesting that the three men were using the claim to try to have a “public inquiry-style” hearing into finding historical truths.
He added: “The desire to establish for the historical record that Mr Adams was a member of the IRA is the purpose that has driven this claim,” adding that this could be an abuse of the court system.
In their evidence, the three men said the reasons they did not bring claims earlier were that they did not realise they could do so, could not afford it, were suffering from mental or physical injuries and feared violent reprisals.
Gerry Adams welcomed today’s ruling
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Mr Adams said there now needed to be a “renewed focus” on the “democratic route to a new Ireland”.
He said: “During my two days of evidence I categorically rejected all of the claims being made. I am glad to have been one of those who helped bring an end to the conflict.
“We now have, through the Good Friday Agreement, a peaceful and democratic route to a new Ireland.
“That needs a renewed focus, especially by the Irish Government.”