Rosemary Nelson – Ten years since her murder

15/03/09

Rosemary Nelson was an internationally known and respected human rights lawyer. Rosemary was 40 years of age when she was murdered on March 15, 1999. She was also a wife and a mother to three children. Rosemary studied for her law degree at Queen’s University, Belfast. After working for other solicitors for a number of years, Rosemary became the first female solicitor to open her own practice in her native town of Lurgan. The weekend immediately prior to her death marked the tenth ‘birthday’ of her practice.

Rosemary was a consummate professional, dedicated to the cause of justice and committed to the universal enjoyment of human rights. She never lost her capacity to be outraged when people's rights were abused. Rosemary used her considerable experience of the law to try and ensure that rights were translated into reality. Rosemary acted in several high profile human rights cases.

Despite the threats to her life associated with her work as a human rights defender Rosemary was courageous and retained a common humanity. She was obstructed in the execution of her professional duties in contravention of the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers which state: “Governments shall ensure that lawyers (a) are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference; (b) are able to travel and to consult with their clients freely both within their own country and abroad; and (c) shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics” (Principle 16) and “lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of discharging their functions” (Principle 18).

Members of the RUC routinely issued death threats against Rosemary through her clients. There are a number of similarities between Rosemary Nelson’s case and that of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane in February 1989. Both were high profile, successful lawyers in their own areas and both had received threats from the RUC through their clients.

Rosemary committed much of her professional life to protecting the rights of her clients. Her legacy challenges everyone to continue to work to increase the protection of human rights until all those in our society who have no voice can be heard. It is a challenge to those who believe that the human rights struggle is either over or can be won by establishing new institutions or legislation.

There is a widely held belief that British State agents were directly involved in Rosemary Nelson’s murder. This belief has been strengthened over the years as successive RUC and PSNI regimes have sought to frustrate and delay the search for the truth.

Rosemary will be uppermost in the thoughts of many this weekend, particularly those of her family as they pursue their search for the truth. The extent to which British state agencies or agents colluded in threatening, targeting and killing Rosemary must be revealed.