Christy Walsh case

Who is Christy Walsh case?

John Christopher Walsh, from west Belfast, was convicted in 1991 by a Diplock court of possessing explosives in connection with the conflict in Northern Ireland, and campaigned for 20 years to clear his name on the basis that his conviction was a miscarriage of justice. His case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission in 2000. That appeal having failed, he appealed again and in January 2002 his conviction was upheld, even though the court acknowledged the possibility that procedural irregularities might have amounted to an interference with his right to a fair trial. Following an unprecedented third appeal on the basis of new evidence, his conviction was overturned as unsafe on 16 March 2010. Walsh has been refused compensation for the conviction and time spent in prison, and is currently engaged in campaigns to reverse that decision, and to draw attention to the alleged failings of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.