Inquiry to examine allegations of collusion in North

A public inquiry into the murder of solicitor Rosemary Nelson will begin its hearings in Belfast today.

The 40-year-old lawyer was killed in a car bomb claimed by the loyalist paramilitary group the Red Hand Defenders in March 1999.

The inquiry, led by former High Court judge Michael Morland, will today begin investigating claims security force members may have colluded in Mrs Nelson’s murder.

Prior to her death, the mother of three came to prominence for representing a group of high profile republican and nationalist clients, including the Catholic Garvaghy Road residents’ group that opposed Orange Order parades.

The parades flashpoint at Drumcree in Portadown placed Mrs Nelson at the centre of a violent dispute that caused major disturbances across the North in the late 1990s.

Prior to her murder, Mrs Nelson told representatives of the US Congress and the United Nations that her life was being threatened by members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).

While the allegations were denied by police, the claims fuelled speculation of a wider conspiracy against Mrs Nelson in the aftermath of her murder.

More than £15m (€18.7m) has so far been spent on the Rosemary Nelson case and the failure to catch her killers continues to cause controversy.

Former UN investigator Param Cumaraswamy, who worked to protect lawyers around the world from intimidation, was one of the first officials to raise concerns for Mrs Nelson.

“I welcome the inquiry,” he said, speaking ahead of today’s hearings.

“The perpetrators of that tragic brutal murder of Rosemary Nelson on March 15, 1999 must be identified and brought to justice.

“I trust that the process of this inquiry will leave no stones unturned to seek the truth.”

Proceedings will start today with an opening statement on the background to the case by counsel to the Inquiry, Rory Phillips QC.

It is understood the opening statement could take several days to deliver.

It is thought the first witnesses will give evidence at the inquiry at the end of the month.