The six representatives made the call on Wednesday, as the deadline to avoid unnecessary delays is fast approaching. 

Sian Mullholland MLA, Timothy Gaston MLA, Philip McGuigan MLA, Paul Frew MLA, Jon Burrows MLA and Jim Allister KC MP were speaking after the family of Chloe Mitchell met Justice Minister Naomi Long MLA on Tuesday. 

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 Natalie 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.”