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| Lawyers warned of Larkin role in Maire Stopes inquiry | Lawyers warned of Larkin role in Maire Stopes inquiry |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| By Stephen Walker BBC NI political reporter | By Stephen Walker BBC NI political reporter |
| Full details have emerged of why the Justice Committee rejected the Attorney General John Larkin's offer to assist an inquiry into a sexual health clinic. | Full details have emerged of why the Justice Committee rejected the Attorney General John Larkin's offer to assist an inquiry into a sexual health clinic. |
| Legal advice to the committee said asking Mr Larkin to become involved would not be "prudent". | Legal advice to the committee said asking Mr Larkin to become involved would not be "prudent". |
| However, it did suggest that he could be called as a witness. | However, it did suggest that he could be called as a witness. |
| Last month Mr Larkin wrote to the committee offering his assistance if they wanted to investigate the new Marie Stopes clinic in Belfast. | Last month Mr Larkin wrote to the committee offering his assistance if they wanted to investigate the new Marie Stopes clinic in Belfast. |
| The Stormont committee took its own legal advice, which concluded that the attorney general's offer should be declined. | The Stormont committee took its own legal advice, which concluded that the attorney general's offer should be declined. |
| The Northern Ireland Assembly's legal advisors said an inquiry was "an unusual proposition". | The Northern Ireland Assembly's legal advisors said an inquiry was "an unusual proposition". |
| They said it was outside their remit and it would be neither "safe nor prudent" to exercise the power to call for persons and papers. | They said it was outside their remit and it would be neither "safe nor prudent" to exercise the power to call for persons and papers. |
| Mr Larkin wrote to the committee on 16 October, after the clinic opened. | |
| He wrote that "should the committee decide to commence such an investigation I would be happy to give every possible assistance and that could, for example, include acting as counsel to the committee and, where appropriate, conducting the questioning of witnesses on behalf of the committee". | |
| The committee's report concluded that the attorney general would not be permitted to act as counsel and questioner and suggested that he should simply be called as a witness. |