Ex-soldier wins right to appeal against Diplock trial

A former soldier has begun his appeal to the Supreme Court against a decision to try him in a Diplock Court.

A Diplock Court is a non-jury trial heard by a judge only. Diplock courts were introduced in 1973 in an attempt to deal with terrorist offences during the Troubles.

The former soldier is due to be tried for attempted murder in connection with a fatal shooting in Northern Ireland in 1974.

The Government technically abolished the old Diplock courts in 2007.

However, the Government gave the Director of Public Prosecutions temporary power to decide that exceptional cases should be tried without a jury if he believed there was still a risk of jurors being intimidated.

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Shalish Mehta

Shalish is an experienced dispute resolution solicitor who joined the firm in 2002 ago upon qualifying as a solicitor and provides a proactive approach whilst retaining the personal touch to help you achieve the best possible outcome for your case. He acts on behalf of both private individuals and commercial clients. He can assist and advise at any stage of a dispute including mediation through to court action and injunctions. Shalish is a keen sportsman, regularly playing cricket and five-a-side football and also watching live sport. He enjoys city breaks and takes great pleasure in sampling different cuisines from around the world. Shalish is fluent in Gujarati and will happily represent those for whom Guajarati is the first language, in English. He is also happy to offer his services as a translator to our clients as necessary. What clients say about Shalish: “We feel the service was perfect and found our solicitor, Shalish Mehta, very professional and helpful in all aspects”