GSOC defends George Nkencho shooting investigation

The Garda watchdog has defended the pace of its investigation into the shooting of George Nkencho.

It's four weeks since the 27-year-old was shot and killed by an armed officer in west Dublin, and his family's solicitor says GSOC has not yet taken their statements as eyewitnesses. 

GSOC says it has to be fair to both the Nkencho family and the gardaí involved in the standoff -- who the force say he threatened with a knife before one of them opened fire. 

Liam Herrick, director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, says the state investigation has be prompt and effective to meet the standards of international human rights law. 

"It has to meet the standards of article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

"There is an effective, independent investigation which is capable of examining all of the questions about the circumstances and context of this incident.

"We have not have a substantive response from GSOC yet, but the family are raising these concerns and I think they are concerns that need to be answered."

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