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Morrison decision remains unpublished

Danny Morrison - Kidnaping conviction overturned
Danny Morrison - Kidnaping conviction overturned

It is still not clear whether appeal court judges in Belfast will publish the reasons why the former Sinn Féin director of publicity Danny Morrison had a conviction for kidnapping overturned.

The court declared his conviction unsafe last month after studying a confidential document but did not publish its reasons.

The Public Prosecution Service said last week that it was not in the interest of justice or national security to make public a confidential dossier.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission had submitted this document when referring Danny Morrison's case to the Appeal Court.

A lawyer for the prosecution service made a submission behind closed doors this morning and the appeal court is considering the application.

Lawyers for 55-year-old Mr Morrison and seven other republicans whose convictions had been quashed were not present.

Mr Morrison had been given an eight-year sentence for falsely imprisoning Sandy Lynch, an IRA member and alleged police informer, in 1990.

He is alleging that the prosecution service want to protect another informer who had a pivotal role in his conviction.