Boston College Legal Challenge Thrown Out Of Court

A legal challenge over attempts to obtain interviews with former paramilitary members has been thrown out of court.

The ruling has been considered a minor victory for US prosecutors but an appeals court will have the final say on the release of the interviews.

Boston College, who carried out the interviews, have refused to release them to the PSNI.

Last year, the PSNI began a legal bid to gain access to the interviews with former republicans and loyalists held by the college.

At the time, it was believed they were being sought by detectives investigating cases of the so called ‘disappeared’ but it has now been said that if other information were to come to light, the PSNI was entitled to investigate in the normal way.

Many want the interviews kept confidential claiming that the release of the documents could harm the peace process in Northern Ireland and risk the lives of some of those who gave confidential testimonies to the project.

Meanwhile the college researchers promised the interviewees that their accounts would remain confidential until after their deaths.

The Belfast Project involved academics, historians and journalists conducting interviews with former republicans and loyalists about their activities during the Troubles.

(LB)