DUP ASSEMBLY member Ian Paisley jnr is to appeal an order by the High Court compelling him to divulge to the Billy Wright Inquiry the name of a prison service source who gave him information about destruction of evidence.
Mr Paisley, a former Stormont junior minister, was ordered by Mr Justice Gillen last week to supply the name of a constituent and high-ranking prison officer who told him of an alleged policy of evidence destruction in the wake of the INLA murder of Billy Wright at the Maze prison in 1997.
This evidence, which refers to the destruction of some 5,600 documents shortly after Wright’s killing, was then passed to David Wright, father of the murdered Loyalist Volunteer Force leader.
He said Mr Paisley had 17 days to pass the required information to inquiry chairman Lord MacLean. But Mr Paisley jnr says he will never divulge the identity of a constituent who approached him with evidence likely to be of relevance to the murder inquiry.
Joe Rice, Mr Paisley’s solicitor, said last night he had been instructed to lodge an appeal with the Court of Appeal.
On constitutional implications, Mr Rice said Mr Paisley would continue to argue that public representatives should have the same degree of respect for confidentiality of client relationships as do doctors, journalists and the clergy.
Mr Paisley has insisted he will go to prison rather than break his word to his source.
Speaking to The Irish Times, he said: “When people come to their public representative can they have that service of confidence and confidentiality? I think that that is worth fighting for.”
Mr Justice Gillen indicated in his ruling that he was disposed to fast-tracking any appeal.