The High Court has overturned the decision of Sir Peter Thornton, former Chief Coroner, to refuse to look into who was responsible for the Birmingham Pub Bombings.

Elkan Abrahamson, of Broudie Jackson Canter solicitors, represents some of the families and said:

“This is a welcome development. We have always felt that a proper Inquest has to look into the extent to which the government of the time knew about the bombings, whether they decided to allow the bombings to go ahead and, most concerning of all, whether government agents colluded in the bombings, not knowing that they would lead to fatalities.

A major question over the years has been whether this was an operation led, encouraged or permitted by State Security Services designed to discredit the IRA but which went horribly wrong. To answer this we need to know who was involved.

We are glad to see the Coroner has been asked to think again and hope he will take a responsible and thoughtful look at the issues – speaking truth to power is difficult enough at the best of times but impossible when power refuses to listen.

Sadly we are still waiting for a Hillsborough Law which will impose a duty of candour on public servants.”