A LEGAL action against former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has begun in London.
Mr Adams is being sued in a civil action for symbolic damages of £1 by three IRA bomb victims, who allege that Mr Adams was a member of the IRA.
The action, which began on Monday, is being taken by three men: one a victim of the Old Bailey bombing in London in 1973, and another two who were injured in separate IRA bomb attacks in London and Manchester in 1996. Three people died in the three bombings and scores of people were injured.
Mr Adams denies being a member of the IRA.
Lawyer for the claimants, Anne Studd KC, said: “Whilst we accept that the jigsaw may not result in the placing of every piece, we consider that there are more than sufficient pieces to enable the court reach a firm conclusion on balance of probabilities in relation to the whole picture of the defendant’s involvement in the armed struggle in 1973 and in 1996 through his membership of and the ranks held within PIRA.”
She added: “There is no doubt that the defendant contributed to the peace in Northern Ireland, but the claimants say that on the evidence he also contributed to the war.”
Speaking to the media at the end of the first day of proceedings, Mr Adams said: “I'm here to defend myself and to challenge the allegations being made against me.
"We will let the court get on with its business.
"But I would like to say for the record and at the outset that the only thing that I am guilty of is being an Irish republican committed to ending British rule in our country and seeking to unite the people of Ireland on the basis of freedom, equality, peace and solidarity."
