The family of a GAA official murdered by loyalist paramilitaries has criticised the Government for taking legal action in relation to an inquest into his death.

Sean Brown, 61, was abducted and killed by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Club in Co Londonderry in May 1997.

No one has ever been convicted of his murder.

An inquest was under way into his death until last month when a coroner said it could not proceed due to the withholding of sensitive files.

Mr Justice Kinney said his ability to examine Mr Brown’s death had been “compromised” by the extent of confidential State material being excluded from the proceedings on national security grounds.

He said he would write to Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris to call on the Government to establish a public inquiry into the loyalist murder.

On Thursday, the Government said it was making a legal challenge.

A spokesperson said: “We can confirm that an application for leave to apply for judicial review has been made relating to the inquest into the death of Sean Brown.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage given the matter is now the subject of judicial consideration.”

Bridie Brown, the wife of Sean Brown, with his daughters Claire Loughran (left) and Siobhan Brown (front right) and his son Sean Brown (rear right) speaking to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Belfast in March
Bridie Brown, the wife of Sean Brown, with his daughters Claire Loughran (left) and Siobhan Brown (front right) and his son Sean Brown (rear right) speaking to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Belfast in March (PA)

In a statement issued by their solicitor, the Brown family said they felt the legal action was “an attack on the truth” and accused the Government of attempting to deny victims access to justice.

“We repose a high degree of cynicism as to the timing of the announcement of these judicial review proceedings, coming as they do on the on the actual date that a public inquiry decision was due,” the family statement continued.

“The Brown family are gravely concerned that this is a concerted attempt to tie them up in legal processes that could take years, and that they are being used as pawns in a wider attempt by the British Government to defend its indefensible approach to legacy.

“Today’s announcement has a retraumatising effect on a family but most specifically an 86-year-old widow, already coming to the terms with the facts that were permitted to emanate from the inquest process.

“We confirm that we retain instructions to issue our own proceedings, given the failure by the Secretary of State to make a decision within the proscribed time, in request of the direction of the High Court to convene a public inquiry.”