Former Sinn Féin publicity director Danny Morrison had a conviction linked to the IRA kidnap of a suspected informer in 1990 overturned today.
Mr Morrison and seven others were arrested after security forces raided a house in West Belfast where it was claimed Sandy Lynch was being interrogated by the IRA.
But the Court of Appeal in Belfast today quashed the cases after the panel of three judges, led by Lord Chief Justice Sir Brian Kerr, read confidential files on the case.
Mr Morrison demanded the closed files be made public and claimed the convictions had collapsed because of the role of security force agents in his arrest.
The Prosecution Service signalled it will move to block the disclosure of the files when the case is reconvened, but today the Lord Chief Justice said he saw no reason to do so, but would consider arguments at a further hearing.
“There is nothing in the papers which intrinsically militates against the delivery of an open judgment detailing the reasons for our decision,” he said.
“We will, however, give the parties the opportunity, if they wish to avail of it, to seek to persuade the Court not to deliver what I might describe as an open judgment.”
In a development that could have far-reaching implications, the Criminal Cases Review Commission referred all eight convictions back to the Court of Appeal, but gave its reason for doing so in a confidential annex.
Mr Morrison and two of his co-accused, who were handed lengthy jail sentences in 1991, said they were the victims of a security force plot.
He claimed he had only arrived at the house to arrange a press conference where Lynch was expected to admit working for the security forces.
But today the former Sinn Féin press officer alleged the presence of a separate, highly-placed agent at the centre of the episode was being concealed.
Mr Morrison alleged the disclosure of the full details would link the security forces to the work of the IRA’s so-called “nutting-squad” that detected and murdered informers.
“What was refreshing about what the judges have said, and it’s good in this new dispensation we are in, is that they were quite prepared to state the reasons contained in the secret annex for overturning our convictions,” said Mr Morrison.
“I think that’s very positive. My previous experience of the judiciary has not been a good one.”
PA