Courts / Dublin / Report

Ex-INLA member wanted for 1998 murder loses latest challenge to extradition

Date
2018-02-08
Stage
Appeal
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

Francis Lanigan, 53, an ex‑paramilitary who lived in west Dublin, was sought by Northern Irish authorities for a 1998 murder in Co Tyrone. He was arrested in 2013 under a European Arrest Warrant while working as a barber, after authorities discovered he had been living under the alias "Ciaran McCrory." Lanigan claims the warrant is not a "forthright account" and questions why his surrender was not requested earlier. He has faced multiple High Court proceedings, a Court of Appeal case, a Supreme Court hearing and a European Court of Justice referral. In January 2024, the Court of Appeal dismissed his latest challenge, with the judge criticizing the delays and the strategy of reopening settled matters. Lanigan maintains that he was targeted by loyalists and that the warrant lacks full evidence, including CCTV footage. The court upheld the High Court's decision to surrender him to Northern Ireland.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Ex-INLA member wanted for 1998 murder loses latest challenge to extradition. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

Why: Gardai were aware Mr Lanigan was living under that name before his arrest because a detective had covertly gone to the gym where he worked, had done a DNA test on a coffee cup and ascertained that the man living as "Ciaran McCrory" was really Mr Lanigan. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Secondary Mention
Court Venue
  • The High Court
  • High Court
  • Court of Appeal
  • Supreme Court

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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