By Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press AssociationIt was “rather dubious” whether an all-island court would lead to the conviction of more fugitives, according to Ireland’s attorney general in 1982. The suggestion of a joint British-Irish court was discussed during the 1980s. In a document labelled “strictly confidential”, released this year as part of the National Archives in Dublin, Mr Connolly told the new Irish government that he was against the suggestion of an all-island court. He recounted a meeting his predecessor had with the British attorney general about extradition, joint interrogation and an “all-island court” and then gave his view, according to the memo. “It was agreed that the term ‘all-island court’ was politically sensitive and that a more appropriate title might be ‘joint court’.”– This article is based on documents contained in the file labelled 2025/125/294 in the National Archives of Ireland.

Source: The Herald December 30, 2025 01:53 UTC