13 May 2020
Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has won a Supreme Court case to erase two historic convictions for trying to escape from the Maze Prison on Christmas Eve in 1973 and again in 1974
Adams was one of about 2,000 people interned in Ireland by the British government during this time.
In a unanimous decision, R v Adams (Northern Ireland) [2020] UKSC 19, the court held the convictions were unsafe because the interim custody order to detain him was not properly authorised by the then Home Secretary, Willie Whitelaw. It concluded that parliament intended the power to detain to be exercised by the Secretary of State personally. As Whitelaw did not personally consider Adams’ detention, the order was invalid and his convictions should be quashed.
Delivering the judgment, Lord Kerr said: ‘Mr Adams’ detention was unlawful, hence his convictions of attempting to escape from lawful custody were, likewise, unlawful.’
