Press Release
Published on February 25, 2026
Belfast, Northern Ireland — Human Rights First today welcomes the decision of Belfast’s Court of Appeal to formally acquit Patrick Laurence O’Neill, convicted in 1972 and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on explosives and ammunition charges.
He had been tortured after being arrested during the Northern Ireland conflict.
“This is a good and rare day for justice here,” said Human Rights First’s Senior Advisor Brian Dooley from the Belfast courthouse. “If more cases like Mr. O’Neill’s were allowed to reach the courts, the path to accountability for torture survivors from the days of conflict would be far clearer.”
Today’s decision marks a significant step toward addressing wrongful convictions linked to torture and ill-treatment during the Northern Ireland conflict, and highlights the continuing need for effective legal mechanisms capable of delivering truth and accountability.
In April last year, the U.K.’s Criminal Cases Review Commission referred Mr. O’Neill’s case to the Court of Appeal, concluding that there was a “real possibility” that his convictions would not be upheld. Central to that referral was evidence that Mr. O’Neill’s confession had been extracted under torture. The referral included findings detailed in Bitter Legacy, a report co-authored by Human Rights First and a panel of international experts convened by the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights. The report was commissioned by the Pat Finucane Centre and the Committee on the Administration of Justice.
At a previous hearing, the prosecution withdrew its case. Today’s judgment formally clears Mr. O’Neill of the convictions that have stood for more than five decades.
Human Rights First submitted a letter of support in advance of the appeal proceedings.
“Today’s verdict was made possible by the research of local activists at the Pat Finucane Centre and because of the legal work of Mr. O’Neill’s legal team at Harte Coyle Collins, Solicitors & Advocates. Their vital human rights work should be recognized and applauded,” said Dooley.
