London, United Kingdom. Gerry Adams denied ever being a member of the paramilitary Irish Republican Army as he gave evidence on Tuesday at London’s High Court. The former Sinn Fein leader is contesting a civil lawsuit seeking to hold him liable for three bombings in Britain.
Case and allegations
Adams, one of Northern Ireland’s best-known political figures, is being sued by three people injured in bombings at London’s Old Bailey court in 1973 and in blasts in 1996 targeting London’s Docklands and Manchester. The Old Bailey attack was described as the Provisional IRA’s first bombing on the British mainland.
The claimants are seeking a finding on the balance of probabilities that Adams is personally liable as a senior member of the Provisional IRA.
Adams’ testimony and statements
The 77-year-old entered the witness box on Tuesday and wished “a very happy St Patrick’s Day” to the judge. He was then questioned by his lawyer, Edward Craven, about joining Sinn Fein in 1964, when it was banned.
In his written witness statement, Adams said: “I was never a member of the IRA or its Army Council. … I have never held any rank or role within the IRA, including on the IRA’s Army Council.
“I have never held a ‘command-and-control role’ in the IRA and have never been a senior, let alone most senior figure, in the IRA.”
Background
Adams has long faced accusations, including from former members of the Provisional IRA, that he was a member of the group, which he has always denied. Sinn Fein, formerly the IRA’s political wing and now the largest party in the Northern Irish Assembly, was led by Adams from 1983.
What do you think the court will focus on in assessing personal liability on the balance of probabilities?
