Newly Released Documents Highlight Failures in Protecting Murdered Solicitor Rosemary Nelson

The Ireland Office admitted it should have taken proactive steps to safeguard Nelson before her 1999 assassination by loyalist paramilitaries.

Rosemary Nelson, a prominent solicitor known for representing high-profile nationalist clients, was killed by a loyalist car bomb in 1999 outside her home in Lurgan, County Armagh.
Newly unsealed documents reveal that Northern Ireland Office officials, with hindsight, acknowledged failing to offer Nelson adequate protection despite her reports of death threats and security force intimidation.
The inquiry into Nelson's murder found no direct involvement by security forces but noted their actions, including leaked intelligence and threats, may have legitimized her as a target for loyalist paramilitaries.
The Royal Ulster Constabulary's chief constable suspected members of the Ulster Defence Association were behind the sophisticated bombing, potentially involving UDA dissidents unhappy with the ceasefire.
Days before her death, Nelson expressed fear for her safety to Irish diplomats, but protective measures were not extended to her, unlike to some of her clients who were also under threat.