Government tables amendments to NI Troubles legacy legislation

The government has formally introduced amendments to legislation seeking to address the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

The legislation aims to deliver better outcomes for all those most affected by the Troubles.

Amendments include: allowing ongoing criminal investigations, inquests, the consideration of prosecution decisions, and the publication of reports, to continue until May 2024; the revocation of immunity if an individual is subsequently convicted of terrorism offences or offences connected to terrorism committed after immunity was granted; and expressly confirming that the Commissioner for Investigations, when exercising operational control over the conduct of reviews, must comply with obligations imposed by the Human Rights Act 1998.

The Report Stage of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is scheduled to proceed in the House of Lords later this month.

The amendments also cover placing the ICRIR under a new duty to offer victims and their families the opportunity to submit personal impact statements and placing the ICRIR under a new duty requiring it to take reasonable steps to secure information relevant to the assessment of the truth of a person’s account as part of their application for immunity.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, said: “The Government has consistently stated that it would continue constructive dialogue in order to alleviate concerns and strengthen the Bill. That is why we have published a number of significant amendments that directly address a number of key concerns raised by interested parties.

“This includes amendments on the conduct of reviews, compliance with Convention Rights, the independence of the Commission, conditional immunity, and ongoing legal processes.

“We remain absolutely committed to making legislative progress so that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) can be established, and begin delivering better outcomes for those most affected by the Troubles, as swiftly as possible.”