North Antrim elected representatives urge CBA to allow Chloe Mitchell trial to proceed

21-year-old Chloe Mitchell who was murdered in June 2023 in Ballymena

North Antrim elected representatives have called on the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) to grant a dispensation in its ongoing strike action to allow the trial of the individual charged with the murder of Chloe Mitchell to proceed as planned.

The appeal comes as a deadline to prevent further delays in the Chloe Mitchell trial is fast approaching.

Six representatives — Sian Mullholland MLA, Timothy Gaston MLA, Philip McGuigan MLA, Paul Frew MLA, Jon Burrows MLA and Jim Allister KC MP — made the request on Wednesday, February 11, following a meeting between Chloe Mitchell’s family and Justice Minister Naomi Long MLA on Tuesday.

Call for CBA Derogation in Chloe Mitchell Case

The representatives have asked the Criminal Bar Association to offer the same derogation in the Chloe Mitchell case as was granted in the McNally case, enabling proceedings to continue despite the strike.

In a joint statement, they said:

“It’s clear any delay to the trial at this point will only bring more heartache and trauma to a family that has suffered the worst kind of pain in how Chloe was taken from them. It is an unimaginable situation that no family should face, and their pain is being exacerbated with each delay.

“We are therefore urging the CBA to prioritise the family of Chloe Mitchell and act with the same understanding as in the McNally case.

“The trauma of the ongoing delay has had a serious impact on the health and wellbeing of those closest to Chloe, with her family describing their lives as being put on hold in the most torturous of ways.  It is within the gift of the CBA to offer a derogation that will allow the trial to go ahead and to help bring closure for the Mitchell family. The deadline for this decision is imminent and the family needs clarity.

“This appeal is not about the substance of the strike, but about the need to permit this family to have closure.”

Impact on Chloe Mitchell’s Family

The representatives highlighted the impact of any further postponement, stating that ongoing uncertainty is worsening the distress experienced by Chloe Mitchell’s family.

They emphasised that the request is focused solely on allowing the trial to proceed and is not intended to challenge the wider substance of the CBA strike action.

With the decision deadline described as imminent, the appeal seeks urgent clarity to avoid additional delay in the Chloe Mitchell murder trial.