6 April 2001

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Watershed Judgment Welcomed

Sinn Fein Assembly member Alec Maskey has described as a watershed judgment the verdict in the case of a former republican prisoner Gerard Magee who had his convictions overturned on the basis that he was denied a solicitor for the first 48 hours of his detention in Castlereagh.

Mr Maskey said:

``This appeal court judgment will have massive repercussions for the hundreds of people who have had their Human Rights abused in this way. The judgment is clear, the RUC violated the European Convention on Human Rights in order to achieve miscarriages of justice. The RUC once again stand indicted.

``I would now call on the hundreds of people who find themselves in a similar situation to Mr Magee to seek immediate legal redress in light of this judgment.''

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