Press
Press Notice 016
Possibility that an offence of perjury was committed11th March 2009
For immediate use
The Chairman of the Robert Hamill Inquiry, Sir Edwin Jowitt, has announced that he will make a report to the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland requesting him to investigate the possibility that an offence of perjury was committed by Rory Robinson at today's hearings.
Mr Robinson appeared before Wednesday’s sitting of the Inquiry at Belfast’s Interpoint Centre, to give evidence about the events surrounding the death of Robert Hamill in Portadown on April 27, 1997.
Mr Robinson was initially charged in connection with the murder of Mr Hamill, However, the charges were later dropped.
Sir Edwin’s decision to call for a report was made after the completion of Mr Robinson’s evidence.
Editors’ notes
1. The Inquiry’s terms of reference are:
To inquire into the death of Robert Hamill with a view to determining whether any wrongful act or omission by or within the Royal Ulster Constabulary facilitated his death or obstructed the investigation of it, or whether attempts were made to do so; whether any such act or omission was intentional or negligent; whether the investigation of his death was carried out with due diligence; and to make recommendations.
2. The Chairman of the Inquiry is Sir Edwin Jowitt, a retired Justice for the High Court, Queen’s Bench Division. The other members of the Inquiry Panel are Sir John Evans (former President of the Association of Chief Police Officers and retired Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary) and Reverend Baroness Richardson of Calow (Moderator of he Churches’ Commission for Inter Faith Relations).
3. The Inquiry was established on 16 November 2004 when the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland , Paul Murphy, announced the terms of reference for the inquiry into the death of Robert Hamill following an incident in Portadown, County Armagh on 27 April 1997.
4. Further information regarding the Inquiry can be obtained from the Inquiry’s website: www.roberthamillinquiry.org or from the Press Officer to the Inquiry, Liz Fawcett, who can be contacted on +44 (0) 28 9020 0811 or +44 (0) 771 943 5662 or at the Inquiry’s Belfast office on +44 (0) 9054 4978. She can also be contacted by E-mail on [email protected]
