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DATE:
25th June 2003
TOPIC: Offences Against the State Act
Mr.
Cuffe:
It is easy for those of us who in some way occupy the middle ground on issues
such as this to argue very cogently and strongly for the continuance of the
existing legislation under the Offences against the State Act to allow the
Special Criminal Court to continue. However,
neither I nor my party takes that view, and we therefore oppose the resolution
before the House this evening.
It
reminded me of a decision that had to be made some eight or ten years ago when
there was a very public and strong debate about whether Sinn Féin should be
allowed the use of the public rooms of the Mansion House in Dublin for its
Ard-Fheis. Several of the issues
that we are discussing are analogous to the kind of debate and discussion that
went on then. The view against
allowing that party to use the round room of the Mansion House was that it was a
very public space in this city and that it would send out the wrong signal,
particularly to Unionists, to allow Sinn Féin to use those public rooms.
The decision was made at that time not to allow Sinn Féin to use them.
Looking back, my view is that the decision was wrong.
It was easy for those of us living a relatively comfortable existence to
deny that group access to the public rooms of the city.
Similarly,
today it would be very easy to use the example of Omagh and other atrocities to
argue strongly for this legislation to continue.
However, times have moved on, and, as the ICCL points out, the state of
emergency is over. This review obviously has to happen at least annually, but
for the Good Friday Agreement to prosper and to bring in the extreme elements on
both sides of the violence that has torn apart this island over the last 30
years, we should drop the use of the Offences against the State Act in this
instance. It will send out a strong
message to everyone who has an interest in the resolution of the conflict.
I
certainly believe that there are - and, possibly, will continue to be - extreme
situations where one can provide strong arguments for the continuation of this
law. However, on balance, the
perpetuation or continued use of the Special Criminal Court is not the correct
message to send out to the various groups and parties and everyone on this
island. I understand the harsh
circumstances and examples that have been quoted this evening.
However, in this instance, it is important to move on publicly and
meaningfully, sending out the right message to those watching.
I therefore oppose the resolution before the House and the Green Party
wishes to state publicly that it does not want to see the use of the Special
Criminal Court continue. We believe
that there is a human rights violation in non-jury trials, and we will therefore
be opposing the resolution before the House.
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