Invaders of these shores could perhaps speak up ­ the Danes, the Normans, even Julius Caesar’s descendants might like to say “mea culpa”. They would serve as a reminder to the likes of John Townend that our history as a mongrel race is a long one

Atonement is becoming a leitmotif of our times. President Clinton apologised for the treatment of American Indians, and for slavery Tony Blair was contrite about the Irish potato famine. Last week the Pope, during his visit to Greece, sought to make amends for the Crusaders’ sacking of Constantinople in 1204 Contrition can have unexpected uses. Invaders of these shores could perhaps speak up ­ the Danes, the Normans, even Julius Caesar’s descendants might like to say “mea culpa”.

They would serve as a reminder to the likes of John Townend that our history as a mongrel race is a long one.. This past week has been one of reckoning for Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness admitted his involvement in the IRA. The European Court of Human Rights ruled that 10 IRA men shot dead by the British security forces had their human rights violated. The decision by Strasbourg has elicited considerable outrage. These gunmen, it is argued, had no sympathy for the human rights of their victims: why should they be accorded rights that they would not give others?

This past week has been one of reckoning for Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness admitted his involvement in the IRA. The European Court of Human Rights ruled that 10 IRA men shot dead by the British security forces had their human rights violated. The decision by Strasbourg has elicited considerable outrage.

These gunmen, it is argued, had no sympathy for the human rights of their victims: why should they be accorded rights that they would not give others?But the anger is misplaced. The court has not said that the killings were unlawful or that the state was wrong to defend itself. What it has criticised is the investigation and the subsequent inquests, which were flawed. Rather than offer a judgment on responsibility, it said that “the shortcomings in transparency and effectiveness identified ran counter to the purpose identified by the domestic courts of allaying suspicions and rumours” It is absolutely right. The courts were unable even to compel security force officers, who had fired the fatal shots, to attend the inquests.