In the matter of an inquest into the deaths of Daniel Doherty and William Fleming - Ruling on Anonymity and Screening Application - PW9
| Jurisdiction | Northern Ireland |
| Judge | Huddleston J |
| Judgment Date | 09 January 2024 |
| Neutral Citation | [2024] NICoroner 1 |
| Date | 09 January 2024 |
| Court | Coroners Court (NI) |
1
Neutral Citation No: [2024] NICoroner 1
Judgment: approved by the court for handing down
(subject to editorial corrections)*
Ref: 2024NICoroner1
ICOS No:
Delivered: 09/01/2024
IN THE CORONER’S COURT IN NORTHERN IRELAND
___________
BEFORE THE CORONER
MR JUSTICE HUDDLESTON
___________
IN THE MATTER OF AN INQUEST INTO THE DEATHS OF
DANIEL DOHERTY AND WILLIAM FLEMING
___________
RULING ON ANONYMITY AND SCREENING APPLICATION –
PW9
___________
Context
[1] This Ruling deals with the application made by PW9 for anonymity and
screening in relation to his provision of evidence to the Inquest into the deaths of
Messrs Doherty & Fleming.
[2] The Ruling is a definitive ruling in respect of PW9 who is imminently
scheduled to provide evidence to the Inquest. I have received a generic assessment
of the risk that is perceived to be faced by those retired members of the security
forces that have been invited to and will give evidence.
[3] I have already given a detailed Ruling in respect of A&S (see [2023] NI
Coroner 5) and, where relevant, rely on the legal basis which I set out there for my
approach to such applications. Broadly, consistent with my approach there, I
consider that:
(a) the security risk that prevails generally in Northern Ireland remains ‘severe’ –
as determined by the NIO in March 2023;
(b) the risk to former members of the security forces (including former police
officers) remains both subjectively and objectively something that is real and
not fanciful – adopting the terminology of Girvan LJ in Re Officer C & Ors
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