Daughter of woman killed by British soldiers reaches settlement

Margaret Kennedy reached an undisclosed settlement with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) regarding the death of her mother, Maura Meehan.

The legal case centered on an incident in October 1971 in the Lower Falls area of west Belfast, Northern Ireland. During that time, British soldiers opened fire on a car carrying Maura Meehan and her sister, Dorothy Maguire. Both women were unarmed at the time of the shooting.

Kennedy sued the MoD for assault, battery, and human rights breaches, arguing that the original investigation by the Royal Military Police lacked independence. While the British Army claimed that shots were fired and a nail bomb was thrown from the car, eyewitnesses denied those claims. The High Court judge, Justice Rooney, noted that the parties reached an agreement following a long legal process. Kennedy stated that the proceedings helped establish accountability and clear her mother's name.

The MoD is also paying Kennedy's legal costs as part of the settlement.