12 February 2004 Edition

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Sinn Féin loses funding appeal on poll grants

Michelle Gildernew

Michelle Gildernew

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Belfast, ruled last week that Sinn Féin is not entitled to British Government funding set aside for the political development of political parties throughout Britain and the Six Counties.

At the Court of Appeal, sitting on Wednesday 4 February, three judges dismissed Sinn Féin's contention that the decision to withhold Policy Development Grants was a breach of the European Convention of Human Rights.

The judges said that to qualify for such grants the four Sinn Féin MPs at Westminster should have taken the Parliamentary oath, the necessary preliminary to taking their seats.

"Requiring them in effect to have taken their seats is our view the only working criterion to apply in order to achieve the object of the legislation," said Judge Campbell. They also refused leave to appeal to the British House of Lords.

Sinn Féin MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Michelle Gildernew, brought the action following the disclosure that while Sinn Féin was not given any British government funding, the SDLP, UUP and DUP each received £133,921.

Sinn Féin MP for West Tyrone Pat Doherty said the party would not rest until justice was secured for its electorate.

"Given the composition of the court system in the Six Counties," he said, "today's decision was not unexpected. However this is not the end of the road. We will continue to fight these discriminatory practices both through political and legal channels.

"We will now consider our legal options and explore the possibility of removing this issue from the unreformed judicial system in the Six Counties."


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