THE LAWYER heading the effort to win compensation for the families of 100 people killed by Libyan-supplied explosives in IRA bombings has expressed confidence a deal can be agreed with Libya within weeks.
However, the influential son of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gadafy dismissed the possibility of an out-of-court settlement, though he said victims’ lawyers could lodge a claim before the Libyan courts.
“Anyone can knock on our door. You go to the court. They have their lawyers. We have our lawyers. This is not a jungle,” said Saif Gadafy, speaking during a Sky News interview in Tripoli.
Democratic Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson will be one of a number of House of Commons MPs, including Labour and Conservative members, who will travel to Tripoli in October to press the case of the victims’ families.
On Sunday British prime minister Gordon Brown said his government would give “dedicated foreign office support” to British victims of IRA bombings in their quest for compensation from Libya.
That help will be limited to organising visas for the visit and setting up meetings between the group and senior figures in the Libyan government.
Mr Donaldson welcomed Mr Brown’s latest remarks, pointing out that such co-operation has not been available to them since the class action began two years ago: “We were denied this assistance in the past. We intend to continue pressing Libya.”
Jason McCue, the lawyer leading the class action, welcomed Mr Brown's offer, though the foreign office in London said the matter is "still being worked on", when responding to questions from The Irish Times.
Mr McCue’s London law firm, H20, is seeking approximately €12 million for each of the 100 families party to the action, though he said he expected hundreds more to come forward.
Up to 400 people were killed by the IRA after it received shipments from the Libyans in the 1980s, though the legal action for now is concentrated on 10 bombings between 1987 and 1996.
Saying it was a “a great day for victims”, Mr McCue added: “I am confident that his [Mr Brown’s] moral and logistical backing for the British victims of Libyan Semtex will ensure that they now receive justice and compensation, as did the US victims when they received the support of their president,” he said.
“With our PM’s full support, I cannot see why this matter cannot be concluded swiftly in a matter of weeks . . .” he added.
Democratic Unionist MP Nigel Dodds said: “This isn’t just about Northern Ireland victims but victims of IRA terrorism right across the United Kingdom who see no compensation or justice to them as far as Libya is concerned but who look at their US [counterparts] who were victims who have been compensated.”