§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he will take in the cases of the Maguire family and their co-defendants.
§ Mr. WaddingtonMy right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General and I have now received Sir John May's interim report on these cases. In the light of the report, I have decided to refer the cases of Mr. and Mrs. Maguire, their sons, Vincent and Patrick, Mr. William Smyth and Mr. Patrick O'Neill to the Court of Appeal under the provisions of section 17(1)(a) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968.
I will seek the views of the Court of Appeal under section 17(1)(b) of the 1968 Act on the question of whether it is possible to refer to the court under section 17(1)(a) the case of a person who is now dead. If the court's view is that such action is legally possible, I will refer the case of Mr. Patrick "Guiseppe" Conlon also under the provisions of section 17(1)(a). If the court's view is that such action is not possible, I will consider what further steps to take in the light of its advice.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General and I are arranging for Sir John May's interim report to be published tomorrow at 3 pm in response to an order of the House for a return. Copies will be placed in the Library.