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In re McQuillan

Hearings

19 Mar 2019 [2019] NICA 13; [2020] NI 583, CA (NI) (Morgan LCJ, Stephens LJ and Sir Paul Girvan)

25 Aug 2020 Permission to appeal to Supreme Court given

15 Dec 2021 [2021] UKSC 55; [2022] AC 1063; [2022] 2 WLR 49; [2022] 3 All ER 439; [2021] WLR(D) 640, SC(NI) (Lord Hodge DPSC, Lord Lloyd-Jones, Lord Kitchin, Lord Sales, Lord Hamblen, Lord Leggatt, Lord Burrows JJSC)

Additional names

In re McGuigan

In re McKenna

Subject Matter

HUMAN RIGHTS — Life — Inhuman or degrading treatment — State’s duty to investigate — Inconclusive investigations in Northern Ireland into fatal shooting of woman in 1972 and use of interrogation techniques on detainees in 1971 — Requests for fresh investigations following emergence of new evidence over 40 years later — Whether Convention rights as enacted in domestic law imposing duty on Police Service of Northern Ireland to re-open investigations — Whether corresponding duty at common law or under statute — Whether Police Service of Northern Ireland having sufficient independence to secure effective investigations — Human Rights Act 1998 (c 42), s 6(1), Sch 1, Pt I, arts 2, 3 — Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 (c 32), s 32

[2021] UKSC 55; [2022] AC 1063; [2022] 2 WLR 49; [2022] 3 All ER 439; [2021] WLR(D) 640, SC(NI)

Appellate History

In re McKenna (Mary) [2019] NICA 46; [2021] NI 15, CA (NI)

Decision of the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland reversed in part

In re McQuillan [2021] UKSC 55; [2022] AC 1063; [2022] 2 WLR 49; [2022] 3 All ER 439; [2021] WLR(D) 640, SC(NI)

In re McQuillan [2019] NICA 13; [2020] NI 583, CA (NI)

Decision of the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland reversed

In re McQuillan [2021] UKSC 55; [2022] AC 1063; [2022] 2 WLR 49; [2022] 3 All ER 439; [2021] WLR(D) 640, SC(NI)

Commentary

UK Human Rights Blog
One date to rule them all: McQuillan, McGuigan and McKenna [2021] UKSC 55 Case comment

UK Police Law Blog
The investigative duty and ‘historic’ allegations – when is the duty engaged? Case comment

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