Rosemary Nelson Inquiry

On 15 March 1999, Rosemary Nelson, a solicitor from Lurgan, Co. Armagh, died as a result of injuries sustained when a bomb attached to her car exploded. Rosemary had been the subject of many death threats by loyalist paramilitaries and the Red Hand Defenders (a loyalist paramilitary group) claimed responsibility for her murder.

An inquiry into her murder was established under Section 44 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998. 

The Inquiry’s terms of reference were:
“ To inquire into the death of Rosemary Nelson with a view to determining whether any wrongful act or omission by or within the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Northern Ireland Office, Army or other state agency facilitated her death or obstructed the investigation of it, or whether attempts were made to do so; whether any such act or omission was intentional or negligent; whether the investigation of her death was carried out with due diligence; and to make recommendations.”

The Inquiry was conducted by a Panel of three. The Chairman of the Inquiry was Sir Michael Morland, a retired Judge of the High Court of England and Wales. Also on the Panel was Dame Valerie Strachan, former Chairman of the Board of Customs and Excise and Sir Anthony Burden, former Chief Constable of South Wales Police.

This Inquiry opened at the Craigavon Civic Centre on 19 April 2005. The full hearings took place at the Interpoint Centre, Belfast, commencing on 15 April 2008. After 130 days, the hearings concluded on 24 June 2009.

Full details about the Inquiry can be found at: www.rosemarynelsoninquiry.org

The report of the Inquiry into the death of Rosemary Nelson was published on 23 May 2011.  You can view the conclusions of that report here.