This conference was part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project on Amnesties, prosecution and public interest in the Northern Ireland transition. Framed by an exploration of the meaning of ‘public interest’, this project explored the inter-relationship between amnesties or amnesty-like measures and historical prosecutions in Northern Ireland. Although people will inevitably make up their own mind about what they consider to be the best way forward on these matters, the purpose of the project was to provide information on the international, historical and legal context to amnesties, prosecution and the public interest in order to ensure that the public debate is as well informed as possible. This conference engaged civil society with key legal and criminal justice actors in examining the current legal approaches in dealing with the past, and what possible approaches could be adopted in the future.
Dr Michael Maguire, Office of Police Ombudsman NI
Dave Cox, Director of the Historical Enquiries Team
Geoff Knupfer, Head Investigator in the Independent Commission on the Location of Victims’ Remains
Dawn Purvis, Chair of Healing Through Remembering
John Larkin, Attorney General
Registration and Coffee
Welcoming Remarks – Prof Sally Wheeler (QUB)
Introduction – Louise Mallinder (TJI) and Dawn Purvis (HTR) – Amnesties, Prosecution and Truth Recovery
Plenary 1: Investigating the Past – Chair: Monica McWilliams (TJI), John Larkin (AG NI), Michael Maguire (OPONI), Dave Cox (HET), Geoff Knupfer (ICLVR)
Lunch
Plenary 2: Prosecutions, Convictions and the Public Interest – Chair: Dawn Purvis (HTR), Barra McGrory (PPSNI), Paul Mageean (CCRC), Gordon Anthony (QUB)
Questions and Answers Session
Break
Closing Session: Where to Next? Kieran McEvoy, Louise Mallinder, Gordon Anthony, Luke Moffett and Dawn Purvis
‘Introduction’ by Louise Mallinder and Dawn Purvis
‘Dealing with the past while creating a new reality for the future’ Dr Michael Maguire Police Ombudsman talking about the historical investigations by the OPONI.
‘Historical Enquiries Team’ Dave Cox, Director of the Historical Enquiries Team, talking about the work of the HET in investigating conflict related deaths.
‘Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains’ Geoff Knupfer, Head Investigator in the Independent Commission on the Location of Victims’ Remains talking about the work of the Commission in the recovery of the Disappeared.
‘Panel one discussion: Investigating the past’ Discussion by panel members, Michael Maguire, Dave Cox, and Geoff Knupfer, chaired by Monica McWilliams and questions from the floor on the issue of investigating the past in Northern Ireland.
‘Criminal Case Review Commission in relation to Northern Ireland’ Paul Mageean talking about the work of the Criminal Case Review Commission in relation to Northern Ireland
‘Panel two discussion: Prosecutions, convictions and the public interest’ Barra McGrory QC, Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland, Paul Mageean, member of the Criminal Case Review Commission, and Prof Gordon Anthony, Queen’s University Belfast, taking questions from the floor and discussing the issues of prosecutions, convictions and the public interest in Northern Ireland.
‘Final plenary: Where to next?’ Final plenary discussion with members of the project team: Prof Kieran McEvoy, Prof Gordon Anthony, Dr Louise Mallinder, Dawn Purvis, and Dr Luke Moffett.
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