The Court of Appeal in Belfast today ruled in favour of Jean McBride, mother of murdered Belfast teenager Peter McBride, in her appeal against an earlier judicial review ruling accepting the British Army's reasons for retaining the two soldier's convicted of the murder of her son.
In a split decision, the court ruled today that the reasons given by the army board for the retention of Scots Guards Mark Wright and James Fisher did not constitute the "exceptional reasons" required under Queen's regulations regarding the retention of soldiers who had received custodial sentences. The Court of Appeal stated that, while it does not have the authority to order the Ministry of Defence to accept its ruling, it expected the Ministry of Defence to take full note of it.
A PFC spokesperson said, "It is now up to the Ministry of Defence and the entire British government to accept yet another ruling by a Belfast court in favour of Jean McBride. Once again it has been found that the decision by the British army to retain two convicted murderers was and is totally unjustified, and this must be rectified straight away. Wright and Fisher must be discharged from the British army immediately."
Members of the McBride family will soon travel to London to personally deliver this latest judgement to No10 Downing Street.
The Pat Finucane Centre is urging everyone who supports the McBride family in their campaign to contact Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Ministry of Defence to demand that they accept this court ruling and discharge the two convicted murderers from the British army immediately.
Email, fax and phone messages should be sent to:
PM Tony Blair: remote-printer.HonTonyBlair@441718399044.iddd.tpc.int
Tel Downing St at (+44) 207 930 4433 Fax (+44) 207 925 0918
Contact the Armed Forces Minister at public@ministers.mod.uk
Contact the Ministry of Defence at webmaster@army.mod.uk
Full details on this case, including the British army's excuses for
retaining the two Scots Guards, can be accessed at www.serve.com/pfc