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Ministers have ruled out establishing a open probe into the IRA's 1974 Birmingham bar bombings.

The Tragic Event

Back on 21 November 1974, 21 individuals were lost their lives and two hundred twenty wounded when explosive devices were detonated at the Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town pub venues in Birmingham, in an assault commonly accepted to have been orchestrated by the Irish Republican Army.

Legal Consequences

Nobody has been convicted for the attacks. In 1991, six individuals had their convictions quashed after serving over 16 years in jail in what remains one of the gravest miscarriages of the legal system in British history.

Relatives Campaign for Justice

Relatives have for years campaigned for a national probe into the attacks to uncover what the authorities knew at the time of the event and why no one has been prosecuted.

Official Statement

The minister for security, Dan Jarvis, stated on recently that while he had sincere empathy for the relatives, the administration had decided “after detailed deliberation” it would not commit to an inquiry.

Jarvis said the government thinks the reconciliation commission, set up to examine deaths connected to the Troubles, could examine the Birmingham bombings.

Campaigners Respond

Advocate Julie Hambleton, whose 18-year-old sister Maxine was killed in the bombings, said the announcement showed “the government show no concern”.

The sixty-two-year-old has for years pushed for a open investigation and stated she and other grieving families had “no intention” of participating in the investigative panel.

“There is no real autonomy in the commission,” she said, adding it was “tantamount to them grading their own work”.

Requests for Evidence Release

For years, bereaved relatives have been demanding the disclosure of documents from security services on the incident – specifically on what the state was aware of before and following the attack, and what evidence there is that could bring about legal action.

“The entire British establishment is resisting our families from ever learning the facts,” she declared. “Exclusively a legally mandated judge-led public probe will give us access to the papers they claim they don’t have.”

Legal Capabilities

A statutory national probe has particular official powers, encompassing the authority to compel witnesses to attend and disclose evidence related to the inquiry.

Earlier Hearing

An hearing in 2019 – fought for bereaved relatives – determined the victims were unlawfully killed by the Provisional IRA but did not establish the identities of those culpable.

Hambleton commented: “Government bodies informed the then coroner that they have no documents or documentation on what is still Britain's longest unresolved mass murder of the 20th century, but currently they want to force us to engage of this new commission to share evidence that they claim has never been available”.

Official Response

Liam Byrne, the Member of Parliament for the local constituency, labeled the government’s decision as “profoundly disappointing”.

In a message on Twitter, Byrne stated: “Following such a long time, so much pain, and numerous let-downs” the loved ones deserve a mechanism that is “impartial, court-supervised, with comprehensive authorities and courageous in the search for the reality.”

Continuing Grief

Speaking of the families' ongoing grief, Hambleton, who leads the advocacy organization, said: “No relative of any horror of any kind will ever have peace. It is impossible. The suffering and the grief continue.”