"When it came to the interests of our audience, he said, there was a key fact to bear in mind: The two most boring words in the English language are Northern Ireland'. It was an attitude with a long history. In 1924, Viscount Cranbourne, the fifth Marquess of Salisbury, mused that the average English voter has little interest in, and less understanding of, Irish affairs."
"On Thursday the verdict came down in the Bloody Sunday trial, where the judge there was no jury acquitted the British paratrooper known only as Soldier F on all charges, including two counts of murder and five of attempted murder. The court did not dispute that British soldiers had opened fire on unarmed civilians during a civil rights protest in Derry on 30 January 1972, but the culpability of one individual for the crime of murder a premeditated, intentional killing could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt."
Many in England show limited interest and understanding of Northern Ireland, an attitude noted in 1924 by Viscount Cranbourne. A judge acquitted the British paratrooper known as Soldier F of murder and attempted murder charges in the Bloody Sunday trial. The court found that British soldiers had opened fire on unarmed civilians during a civil rights protest in Derry on 30 January 1972, but individual culpability for premeditated murder could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt. The prosecution relied partly on testimony from fellow soldiers later deemed dishonest and crucial evidence was missing; the judge said those responsible should hang their heads in shame, yet the law required acquittal.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]