Jennifer Taylor’s husband Mark passed away while working in Kabul five years ago
A Belfast woman has welcomed a new law change that would mean some deaths abroad can be investigated in Northern Ireland. Five years ago, Jennifer Taylor’s husband, Mark, died suddenly while working in Afghanistan.
Mark, who had served with the British Army for 14 years, had been working as a close personal protection officer for G4S guarding diplomats at the British Embassy in the Afghan capital. Vastly experienced, he had performed similar roles in Kenya.
His body was found on April 2, 2020, in the British Embassy in Kabul just days before his 47th birthday. Jennifer said she had spoken with her husband the night before, and he sounded unwell, with plans to see the medic the following morning.
READ MORE: ‘Tell me how my daddy died’ – Belfast family demanding answers after death of fit dad-of-three in KabulREAD MORE: Fundraiser launched after young man dies in Australia
The next day, police came to Jennifer’s work with the news her husband had passed away. Following this, the North Belfast woman fought for three years to get an inquest into Mark’s death and when this came, she had to travel to London for it.
In the rest of the UK and Ireland, coroners, or the Lord Advocate in Scotland, can investigate a death abroad where a body has been repatriated, although that power is exercised differently in each jurisdiction. This is not the same in Northern Ireland, however, a proposed new law could allow coroners in Northern Ireland to investigate some deaths that occur abroad.
Speaking to Belfast Live following the news of the new legislation, Jennifer Taylor, from the Glencairn area, said: “Five years ago, my husband passed away in Afghanistan. It was the beginning of coronavirus and things were difficult enough at that time.
“Unfortunately what you don’t know until someone passes away is that in Northern Ireland, if you die abroad as a citizen of Northern Ireland, you’re not entitled to a home inquest. No one is.
“If you live in any other part of the UK or Ireland, you are, so we don’t actually have the same rights. I had to travel to London and it took me over three years to get an inquest and to get some answers into his sudden death.
“That was very traumatic for me and the kids, having to travel, having to get different legal representation, having to go to a different place and be on your own, was just really difficult, stressful, and traumatic.”
Jennifer said she hopes the new law change will help support other families. She said: “I have been working alongside John Finucane and we have been campaigning to get the law changed. I’m very pleased that Naomi Long made an announcement to say that going forward, the law will be changed.
“It won’t be changed in its entirety, but certainly for anybody who has died suddenly or in suspicious circumstances or unexplained circumstances. Families will now be able to ask for a home inquest, which means no other family will ever have to go through what we did.
“It’s important to have the support of your family and friends around you, and to be able to have it in your home country. It will benefit other people. I’m just glad it has now come to a final end, and we can at least take something good out of it.”
Earlier this month, Justice Minister Naomi Long published plans for the proposed legislation, which seeks to put families at the centre of the inquest process.
Under the plans, legislation will be introduced which will allow coroners in Northern Ireland to carry out inquests into unexpected, unexplained or suspicious deaths which occur abroad, and where the body has been returned to Northern Ireland.
Explaining the rationale for the proposed changes, which follow a public consultation and stakeholder engagement, Minister Naomi Long said: “Losing a loved one in any circumstance is one of most traumatic experiences that any family can go through.
“Where that death is unexpected, or where the circumstances are not clear or suspicious, the absence of answers only serves to compound their grief.
“My view has always been that it was not sustainable for Northern Ireland to be a place apart from our nearest neighbours and for our citizens not to have the same access to an investigation as their counterparts in England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
“At the same time, a careful balance must be struck. I want our coronial system to help as many bereaved families as possible, while bearing in mind the very real practical difficulties that may limit what is possible in such cases.”
The Minister continued: “Families may, but should not be required, to report a death, and it should be in circumstances where that death is unexpected, unexplained, or in suspicious circumstances, and where they are concerned that overseas authorities have not established the cause and circumstance of the death, or there is doubt about the accuracy of any findings.
“This will support those families who may still want answers, while empowering those who want to move on to make funeral arrangements without any further unnecessary bureaucracy.
“I also remain of the view that there should be clear statutory criteria to define the circumstances in which an inquest could take place, with the Attorney-General for Northern Ireland having the primary decision-making function.
“This will bring clarity to the law and ensure there is a consistent approach which supports families without adding further grief and trauma.”
Video by Belfast Live videographer Harry Bateman.
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
#waited #years #answers #husbands #death #law
