British Government should pay for legacy inquests, says Chief Justice

THE British government should pay for legacy inquests into conflict-related deaths, the North's most senior legal figure has said. 

Speaking at the opening of the legal year, the Lord Chief Justice, Declan Morgan, said the current backlog of legacy inquests is "hugely disappointing." 

The Lord Chief Justice has previously put forward a five-year plan to clear the backlog of legacy inquests and called on the British government to provide the resources to find the plan. 

Declan Morgan also said that only two legacy inquests will be completed during the current financial year and warned that it could be decades before all of the outstanding cases are completed, a scenario he said would be a "devastating blow to the families." 

Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly MLA backed his call for the British government to provide funding for legacy inquests. 

"I share the Lord Chief Justice's frustrations on the lack of progress on his plans to clear legacy inquests. 

"There is also deep frustration and anger among relatives, some of whom have waited more than four decades to find out exactly what happened to their loved ones. 

"The Lord Chief Justice came up with a five year plan to clear the backlog in legacy inquests and Sinn Féin fully supported that plan. 

"It is the British government who is holding it up by withholding funding and in doing so they are adding to the pain and distress felt by relatives. 

"It now needs to step up to the plate and provide adequate funding so that these grieving families can get access to the truth of what happened to their loved ones," he said.