LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Three men who sued former Irish republican leader Gerry Adams over three Irish Republican Army bombings in Britain on Friday withdrew their lawsuit, their lawyers told
UK lawsuit against Northern Ireland's Adams over IRA bombings withdrawn by claimants
Overview of the Lawsuit and Its Withdrawal
By Sam Tobin
LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Three men who sued former Irish republican leader Gerry Adams over three Irish Republican Army bombings in Britain withdrew their lawsuit on Friday, ending a case which had aimed to hold him liable for the attacks.
Background on Gerry Adams and the IRA
Adams, who became leader of Sinn Fein in 1983 when it was the IRA's political wing, was for many years the best-known face of the movement seeking to end British rule in Northern Ireland.
He later reinvented himself as a peacemaker after helping secure the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended three decades of sectarian conflict known as the Troubles, in which some 3,600 people were killed.
But Adams had long faced accusations that he was a member of the Provisional IRA, including from former members of the paramilitary group, which he has always denied.
Details of the Lawsuit
ADAMS DECRIES 'FALSE ACCUSATIONS' AGAINST HIM
The three claimants, who were injured in three IRA bombings in the 1970s and 1990s, were seeking a finding on the balance of probabilities that Adams was personally liable for the bombings as a senior member of the IRA.
But, after a civil trial at London's High Court in which Adams gave evidence over two days, the claimants withdrew the case, meaning the court will not give a ruling on whether Adams was liable for the bombings or was a member of the IRA.
Reactions to the Withdrawal
Adams welcomed the claimants' decision, which he said "brings to an emphatic end a case that should never have been brought."
"I contested this case and defended myself against the smears and false accusations being levelled against me," Adams said.
The claimants' law firm, McCue Jury & Partners, said the claimants felt they had no option but to withdraw the case as they would be liable for Adams' costs if the lawsuit was dismissed by the court as an abuse of process.
"Despite the case not proceeding to judgment, the claimants regard these proceedings as vindication of their position, and a clear and important achievement," the firm said in a statement.
Statements from Claimants and Adams
One of the three claimants, Barry Laycock, who was injured in a 1996 bombing in Manchester, said in a statement after the withdrawal that he was "completely devastated."
Adams told the High Court this week that he was "never involved" in the IRA, though he added that he believed that "people have the right to resist occupation."
"I'm glad that there is a peace process, but I don't distance myself from the IRA," the 77-year-old said from the witness box on Tuesday, which was also St Patrick's Day.
Conclusion
(Reporting by Sam Tobin. Editing by Andrew MacAskill, Aidan Lewis, Alison Williams, Rod Nickel)
