Overview

• The Belfast Court of Appeal ruled in early April that the government's refusal to hold a public inquiry into Sean Brown's 1997 murder was unlawful and breached Article 2 obligations.
• Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has filed for protective leave to appeal the ruling to the UK Supreme Court and requested an extension to review the judgment.
• Sean Brown, a GAA official, was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries in 1997, and no one has been convicted for the crime, prompting long-standing calls for justice from his family.
• Critics, including First Minister Michelle O’Neill, have condemned the government’s actions as obstructing justice and denying families the truth about legacy killings.
• Benn has committed to repealing the previous Legacy Act and reforming investigatory mechanisms to ensure compliance with human rights standards and transparency.