Omagh bombing inquiry to be chaired by Lord Turnbull

Lord Turnbull

The UK government announced in February that it would launch an inquiry into the preventability of the bombing, which was orchestrated by the Real IRA and led to the deaths of 29 people and two unborn children as well as injuries to 220 people.

This followed a ruling by Northern Ireland’s High Court which found there was a “plausible case … that the authorities knew the identities of many of those committed to and involved in this violent insurrection against the Northern Ireland state and arguably could have done more to disrupt their activities”.

The inquiry will be established under the Inquiries Act 2005 with full powers, including the power to compel the production of documents and to summon witnesses to give evidence on oath.

Lord Turnbull became a senator of the College of Justice in 2006. He was promoted to the Inner House of the Court of Session and Appeal Court of the High Court of Justiciary in 2016.

While in practice at the Scottish bar, he was instructed as one of the two senior counsel for the Crown in the Lockerbie bombing case conducted at the Scottish Court in the Netherlands at Camp Zeist.

For the five years preceding his appointment as a judge, he served as the Principal Crown Counsel for Scotland.

Lord Turnbull was recommended for appointment to the Omagh bombing inquiry by the Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales, Lord Burnett of Maldon, in conjunction with his counterparts across the rest of the UK.

Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said: “Lord Turnbull’s long-standing judicial career and his previous experience of working on terrorism cases will provide the highest levels of knowledge and professionalism.

“I have no doubt that Lord Turnbull will bring to the inquiry the required rigour, independence, and impartiality, and I am grateful to him for accepting this important job.”

Lord Turnbull said: “I am honoured to be appointed to chair this important inquiry. I am very conscious of the devastation brought to the lives of so many by the atrocity which took place in Omagh in August 1998.

“I understand the determination of those who lost family and loved ones, and of those who were themselves injured, or whose family members were injured, to learn whether the attack could have been prevented.

“As soon as is practicable I shall be seeking views from those affected about the inquiry. Once the inquiry’s terms of reference are finalised I shall conduct an independent and robust inquiry in order to establish the truth.”

As required by the Inquiries Act 2005, the Secretary of State will now undertake a consultation exercise with the chair on the proposed terms of reference for the inquiry. These will be agreed and published in due course.