Investigations into disputed killings in Ireland where Garda officers investigate actions taken by fellowgardaí cannot be considered independent, Amnesty International has said.
According to the group's annual report for 2000 the current inquest procedure does not satisfy international standards which require a mechanism for public scrutiny of the legality of actions by agents of government.
According to Amnesty the victims' families are severely disadvantaged because their lawyers are not provided with full autopsy statements, full forensic evidence or complete witness statements before the inquest.
All of these documents, it says, are available to the Garda.
Amnesty's report also says legal aid is not available tothe victims' families to pay for legal assistance and independent expert advice.
Referring specifically to the case of John Carthy - who was shot and killed by Emergency Response Unit (ERU) officers in April 2000 ' the report says questions were raised concerning the Garda handling of incident. These include why his request to speak to his solicitor was not met and whether the force used by the Garda was excessive in the circumstances.
Acknowledging the fact that there was an inquest into MrCarthy's death held last October the report states: "AmnestyInternational believes that only an independent public inquiry couldanswer the questions that remain unanswered after the inquest."
Amnesty's report also stated Mr Carthy was the third person to be killed by the ERU in recent years. In relation to the John Morris case ' killed by the ERU in June 1997 ' the report said a Supreme Court ruling concerning the inquest into his death upheld in July 2000 the coroner's decision to allow ERU officers to testify anonymously and from behind a screen.
