Skip to content

Identities of hundreds of drugs suspects withheld in Derry

PSNI Shows a block of cannabis in a see-through plastic bag PSNI
Drugs with an estimated street value of £300,000 were seized in the Galliagh area in October

More anonymity orders were granted in Londonderry in the last five years for those suspected of drug dealing than in the rest of Northern Ireland put together.

Figures obtained by BBC NI show almost 90% of the 374 anonymity orders in drugs-related criminal cases were granted in the city.

Derry solicitor Paddy MacDermott said this was directly linked to the dissident republican threat in the area.

However, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has voiced concern saying anonymity should "never become the default".

Between September 30 2019 and 2024, the number of orders granted at the Bishop Street courthouse was 13 times higher than the 25 issued at Laganside in Belfast.

During his career, Mr MacDermott said he has made "dozens, if not hundreds" of similar applications.

Shows Paddy MacDermott in a white shirt, blue tie, jacket and hooded coat wearing glasses and standing in front of trees
Paddy MacDermott says he has made "dozens, if not hundreds" of similar applications

The solicitor said courts listen "sympathetically" to applications where there could be a threat to the life or safety of a defendant if they are named.

He said one of the biggest concerns was around the emergence of the republican paramilitary group Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) in 2007.

"This led to quite a lot of so-called punishment shootings in this city.

"That led to concerns they [paramilitaries] were getting information from the media," he said.

'Cruel issue'

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the granting of anonymity orders was a matter for the judiciary.

Det Ch Insp Phelan, from the PSNI'S organised crime branch, said they remained fully committed to tackling the "cruel issue" of paramilitary-style attacks.

"These appalling acts of violence have no place in our society," he said.

"The brutal injuries inflicted are a stark violation of people’s basic human rights and those responsible don’t care about the long-term physical and emotional damage they inflict on victims and their families."

A number of defendants in drugs-related cases have been wounded in paramilitary-style shootings in the city.

Of the 37 paramilitary-style shootings during 2022/23, police figures show that most happened in Derry City and Strabane (14), followed by Belfast (10) and Ards and North Down (6).

These same areas saw the greatest increase in the number of shootings compared to the previous year; the number in Derry City and Strabane increased by eight, in Belfast by five and in Ards and North Down by four.

Of the 12 paramilitary-style shootings in the past year, six were carried out in Belfast and three in Derry City and Strabane.

There were two in Ards and North Down and one in Causeway Coast and Glens.

Anonymity 'must never be default position'

a courthouse with four large pillars at the front door, a security sangar at the side and a silver-coloured car to the left
Bishop Street courthouse in Derry, where the vast majority of Northern Ireland's anonymity orders in drugs cases were made

The NUJ assistant general secretary Séamus Dooley said anonymity orders must only be used where necessary.

“Anonymity must never become the default position and it is especially concerning that journalists have been unable to report on hundreds of cases in Derry," he said.

"The high level of orders in Derry is of particular concern and underlines the need for determined action to tackle the scourge of drugs within the community.

"Legal processes must not be abused to protect those who exploit vulnerable people or seek to profit by inflicting misery on communities."

Brian Archer Shows a man with a beard and glasses.Brian Archer
Brian Archer says judges do not grant the orders "willy-nilly".

Part-time district judge and Belfast-based lawyer Brian Archer is a spokesman for the Law Society, which represents solicitors in Northern Ireland.

He said judges do not grant the orders "willy-nilly".

Mr Archer said any application needed to be supported by evidence from the solicitor and police.

However, he accepted that similar applications in drug related cases are "few and far between" outside of Derry.

Mr Archer said open justice is preferred but if there is a "credible" threat the court will normally consider and grant an application.

The office of the Lady Chief Justice, Dame Siobhan Keegan, said open justice was a key principle of the justice system and any departure had to be justified and proportionate.

A spokesperson said: "The media may make representations to the court when it is considering making such an order or may challenge such decisions judicially.

"While it is acknowledged that the numbers of such orders are higher within certain court locations these are judicial decisions, and it would be inappropriate for this office to speculate as to the basis for them."