Liam Herrick: Stardust inquests show the urgent need for reform of coroner system

The tragedy of Stardust lies not just in the appalling and avoidable loss of so many young lives but also in the continued violation of the rights of the victims through the denial of truth and justice over four decades, writes Liam Herrick of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties

Survivors and family members in the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin after the verdict of unlawful killing was returned by the jury in the Stardust fire inquests on April 18. The tragedy of Stardust lies not just in the appalling and avoidable loss of so many young lives but also in the continued violation of the rights of the victims through the denial of truth and justice over four decades.

While justice for the victims of the Stardust fire may never be fully realised, the conclusion of the long-running inquest and Taoiseach Simon Harris's apology in the Dáil represented an important step. 

The outcome of the Stardust inquests, after 43 years, represents an enormous victory for the families who have struggled for an official recognition of the truth of what happened in the early hours of February 14, 1981. The State apology offered by the Taoiseach acknowledged that obstruction and intransigence by successive governments had compounded the terrible grief of the bereaved families.