Overview
- On the trial’s final day, the claimants’ lawyer said the case would be discontinued after an overnight development tied to a possible abuse‑of‑process issue, and the judge ordered discontinuance with no order as to costs.
- The lawsuit sought a civil finding on the balance of probabilities that Adams was liable for the 1973 Old Bailey, 1996 London Docklands and 1996 Manchester Arndale bombings, for a symbolic £1 in damages.
- Gerry Adams denied any involvement and said he was never a member of the Provisional IRA, later welcoming the outcome as an “emphatic end.”
- Defense submissions argued that extraordinary delay, hearsay evidence and the unavailability of key witnesses due to death made the case unfair and potentially abusive of the court’s process.
- The claimants and their lawyers said a late procedural turn threatened their costs protection and exposed them to heavy personal liability, prompting withdrawal even after evidence from anonymous intelligence officers and a former IRA volunteer was heard.