IN A RULING of 'major significance', a High Court Judge today threw out the PSNI and Secretary of State's attempts to block information regarding the murder of Paul 'Topper' Thompson from being released by the coroner.

Mr Thompson (25), was shot dead by the UDA in Springfield Park on 27 April 1994. A loyalist gunman fired through a hole which had been cut into an interface security fence, hitting him as he sat in the passenger's seat of a taxi.

During the course of Paul Thompson's inquest this month, the coroner wished to provide his family with a gist of information in one of seven files which relate to the murder. In response the PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris, launched a bid to stop the information from being made public.

Paul's brother Eugene Thompson said he hoped Monday's ruling could be used to help other families who are currently fighting for answers in legacy cases and hoped for a speedy resumption of the inquest – ahead of May 1 when the British government’s controversial Legacy Act kicks in, ending Troubles related inquests.

“We are back in court on Thursday," he said. "They are going to try to appeal this but the general consensus is the judge isn’t going to go back on his ruling.

“If everything goes well on Thursday, the coroner has said they want to get a preliminary hearing on Friday to keep things moving along as quick as possible as there’s still the 1 May deadline.

“We are hoping we will be able to see the gist of the files. Our legal team have said this was an immense ruling and a legal precedent and because this has been ruled on now it can open up a lot of doors for other families who can hopefully use this to be able to get information in their own cases.

“I want this ruling to help other families who might not be as far along as me and hopefully this ruling can help other people. Their (UK government) decision to end legacy cases after 1 May is terrible and they’re making a mockery out of the justice system.

“The last few months have been a stressful and very difficult time and the ruling today was a much-needed boost. In the past every ruling has gone against us but hopefully, we can now move swiftly in concluding Paul’s inquest.”

Speaking after the ruling, Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice said: “This morning’s ruling is of major significance. Conscious that this case was about the gisting of an intelligence file as opposed to the file itself being made fully available, it nevertheless has far wider, indeed positive, benefits for open justice and not least for families involved in legacy cases.

Paul 'Topper' Thompson
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Paul 'Topper' Thompson

“The ruling strengthens in law the position of coroners and judges in terms of their lawful determinations to provide gisting of intelligence relevant to murders and attacks in which the authorities, in this instance the PSNI, Chief Constable and SoS, seek to prevent from being provided.

“Upholding the decision of the coroner, Justice Humphreys said the challenge by the PSNI Chief Constable and Secretary of State was a full frontal assault on the coroner's decision.

“In his ruling Justice Humphrey’s dismissed all grounds of the PSNI Chief Constable and Secretary of State in their challenge."