20 January 2005 Edition

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Judicial Review of Sinn Féin sanctions decision begins

A full Judicial Review, brought by Sinn Féin Assembly member Conor Murphy into the decision of the British Secretary of State Paul Murphy to impose sanctions upon the Sinn Féin electorate in the wake of the IMC Report into an incident in a Belfast bar last year, will begin this morning in the High Court.

"Last year, when Paul Murphy, a British Minister in Ireland with no mandate, decided to discriminate against the majority of nationalists in the Six Counties, Mr Murphy used the cover provided by the securocrats through the IMC for this decision," said the Sinn Féin Assembly leader on Wednesday. "Sinn Féin said at the time that we would use every means at our disposal to challenge this action.

"One element of this has been to launch a Judicial Review of the decision. We have already overcome the initial legal hearings and will tomorrow proceed to a full hearing.

"Given recent comments by Mr Murphy indicating that he is again exploring ways in which to discriminate against the Sinn Féin electorate further, the timing of tomorrow's hearing is all the more important."


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