Biggest win for Peach family in seven years

Press, 6 February 1986, Page 6

Biggest win for Peach family in seven years

NZPA staff correspondent London The family of the New Zealand teacher, Blair Peach, won their biggest legal victory yet in their seven-year fight to discover the circumstances of his death, but said lack of money could leave them none the wiser. Mr Peach died from head injuries in April, 1979, after being hit by police officers after an anti-Nazi demonstration in London. After an internal police inquiry, it was decided no action would be taken against the elite Special Patrol Group unit members involved. . Last May, the High Court ordered the police

to give to the family the 2500 documents in a report into events surrounding Mr Peach’s death. The police appealed, claiming the report confidential, but the appeal was dismissed by three Appeal Court judges on Tuesday. They decided the information in the report was not to be used merely for a police internal inquiry. It was given to the Coroner at the inquest and should be made available to the family, they said. A Scotland Yard spokesman said it would not appeal to the House of Lords against the ruling. The Peach family had maintained the report was

vital to the civil negligence action they had taken against the London police commissioner. Mr Peach’s widow, Ms Celia Stubbs, however, said that she feared a lack of money could mean they would never see the report. She said the police could offer to settle the negligence action out of court and make non-dis-closure of the report a condition. A reasonable settlement offer would probably debar the family from receiving the legal aid needed to continue the action and unless it could raise the estimated £50,000 ($130,000) necessary, it would have to accept the police terms, she said. Ms Stubbs said it would be a great disappointment if a cash offer prevented access to the report. “I certainly have never been interested in money, only in exposing the Special Patrol Group and police behaviour on that day,” she said. Any police settlement offer needs to be made within two weeks. Scotland Yard refused to say if this was being considered. But whatever happens, the Appeal Court’s ruling was a landmark and set an important precedent,

civil rights campaigners said.

The legal officer of the National Council for Civil Liberties, Miss Marie Staunton, said it was “a very important decision. “It means that in a very serious case where there is a clear public interest, the family does have a right to know what happened,” she said. Mr David Leadbetter, of the campaign group, Inquest, said the decision was a “terrific victory and a historic victory. “It is going to help enormously in similar cases in the future,” he said.

Mr Leadbetter said families’ lack of access to statements available to both the police and the Coroner was unfair and impeded justice. In Napier, a solicitor, Mr Roy Peach, brother of Blair Peach, welcomed the Appeal Court’s decision.

Mr Roy Peach said the report should prove “invaluable” in establishing responsibility. Scotland Yard’s decision against appealing surprised Mr Peach, who said he believed it intended to appeal if the decision went against it. He said the decision was a “substantial milestone” in the family’s campaign.