The Labour government is generating its fair share of negative headlines these days – and now the focus is on the new Attorney General, Lord Hermer. As Mr S pointed out in summer, Sir Keir Starmer’s appointee has held some rather, er, interesting roles in the past – including representing ex-Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams only last year.
The Irish republican – who has always denied being in the Irish Republican Army, despite numerous books detailing his involvement in its Army Council – is back making British headlines today after it emerged that, due to planned changes to Troubles-related legislation, the former politician could receive a government pay-out over his internment in Maze prison in the 1970s.
In 2020, a Supreme Court judgement ruled that the prison stint had been unlawful as the interim custody order had not been ‘considered personally’ by the then-Northern Ireland Secretary. A clause was then added to the Legacy Act (introduced by the Tories, but which Labour plans to repeal) preventing those in Adams’ position from receiving compensation. But there has been a further intervention by the High Court that ruled this aspect of the Act was not compatible with human rights law. As the government attempts to amend this, there are concerns that the former republican leader may end up receiving a pay out after all.
The Prime Minister told MPs that ministers will look at ‘every conceivable way’ to stop the former Sinn Féin president from receiving a pay out – but now the spotlight is on Lord Hermer and his links to Adams. The Attorney General has been quizzed on his role in the government’s intervention in the Troubles legislation, and today struggled to give an answer about whether he had a ‘conditional fee agreement’ with the Irish politician. Giving a rather hesitant response, Hermer managed to, um, not actually answer the question:
Um… I’m afraid I can’t recall – and even if I could recall I’m not sure I would feel inclined to answer a question as to how, the basis to which I was paid by any given client.
It’s quite an extraordinary response – coming after No. 10 officials refused to say whether Hermer was involved in Labour’s decision to repeal the Legacy Act. How curious.
Watch the clip here:
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