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Series
Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Convictions Arising out of the Bomb...
Catalogue reference: BS 27
What's it about?
BS 27
Transcripts of public hearings and submissions from organisations and individuals to the Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Convictions Arising out of the Bomb Attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974 (May Inquiry).
Full description and record details
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Reference (The unique identifier to the record described, used to order and refer to it)
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BS 27
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Title (The name of the record)
- Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Convictions Arising out of the Bomb Attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974 (May Inquiry): Transcripts of Inquiry and Reports
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Date (When the record was created)
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1964-1995
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Description (What the record is about)
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Transcripts of public hearings and submissions from organisations and individuals to the Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Convictions Arising out of the Bomb Attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974 (May Inquiry).
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Held by (Who holds the record)
- The National Archives, Kew
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Legal status (A note as to whether the record being described is a Public Record or not)
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Public Record(s)
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Language (The language of the record)
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English
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Creator(s) (The creator of the record)
- Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Convictions Arising out of the Bomb Attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974, 1989-1994
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Physical description (The amount and form of the record)
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767 files and volumes
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Access conditions (Information on conditions that restrict or affect access to the record)
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Open unless otherwise stated
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Immediate source of acquisition (When and where the record was acquired from)
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In 1994-2014 Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Convictions Arising out of the Bomb Attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974
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Subjects (Categories and themes found in our collection (our subject list is under development, and some records may have no subjects or fewer than expected))
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- Topics
- Weapons
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Administrative / biographical background (Historical or biographical information about the creator of the record and the context of its creation)
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The Right Honourable Sir John May was appointed by the Home Secretary on 26 October 1989 to conduct an inquiry following the quashing by the Court of Appeal of the convictions of four people (known as the 'Guildford Four') for pub bombings in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974 and also following the release from custody of six of the 'Maguire Seven' who had been convicted of possessing explosives (the seventh person of the 'Maguire Seven' had died in prison). The inquiry was independent of the Home Office.
The terms of references of the inquiry were:
'to inquire into the circumstances leading to and deriving from the trial of Patrick Armstrong, Gerard Conlon, Paul Hill and Carole Richardson on charges arising out of the explosions in public houses in Guildford on 5th October 1974; of Patrick Armstrong and Paul Hill in relation to charges arising out of an explosion in a public house in Woolwich on 7th November 1974; and of Anne and Patrick Maguire, their sons, Vincent and Patrick Maguire, and Patrick Conlon, Patrick O'Neill and Shaun Smyth on charges of possessing explosives and to report.'
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Publication note(s) (A note of publications related to the record)
- The report of the Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Convictions Arising out of the Bomb Attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974 (May Inquiry) was published as HC 499.
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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C3043/
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This record is held at The National Archives, Kew
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Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Convictions Arising out of the Bomb Attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974 (May Inquiry): Transcripts of Inquiry and Reports
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