Gerry Adams states he will donate any compensation from his case against the UK Government, despite having no personal interest.
Belfast: Gerry Adams is pushing forward with his case against the UK Government. He says he has no personal interest in compensation for himself. Instead, he plans to donate any money he might receive to good causes.
A think tank called Policy Exchange recently warned that allowing former Troubles internees to seek compensation could lead to a taxpayer-funded payout. Sir Keir Starmer is exploring ways to prevent this from happening.
The think tank criticized the government’s plan to repeal a law that currently blocks these civil claims. This law was put in place after a Supreme Court ruling in 2020, which allowed Adams to seek compensation for his internment without trial in the 1970s.
Adams had his historical convictions overturned after being detained at Long Kesh internment camp. The Supreme Court found his detention unlawful because the order used to detain him wasn’t personally considered by the then Northern Ireland Secretary.
Despite winning his appeal, the Legacy Act stopped compensation payouts to Adams and other former internees. This Act made the detention orders lawful and halted civil claims related to them.
Last year, the High Court in Belfast ruled that parts of the Legacy Act were incompatible with human rights laws. The current government hasn’t appealed this ruling and is working on repealing parts of the Act.
However, Starmer has indicated he wants to prevent former internees from seeking compensation. Adams believes it’s clear the Labour Government won’t repeal the Legacy Act, despite previous commitments.
He noted that many parties and organizations oppose the law, seeing it as a way for the British government to protect its interests. Adams plans to keep pursuing his case, stating he has no personal interest in the outcome.
He reiterated that if he receives any compensation, it will go to good causes, not to him personally.
