‘The long fight for justice continues’ – Call for amnesty for unrest begins

An appeal against a ruling declaring aspects of the British Legacy Act illegal begins today.

The law was passed last year and end all historical investigations into Troubles-related killings.

He also offered conditional amnesty to the perpetrators and created a new independent commission for reconciliation and information recovery. (ICRIR) carry out investigations into crimes committed during the Troubles.

In February, Northern Ireland’s High Court ruled that the amnesty violated human rights law.

“The British government is appealing the High Court’s decision and it started today,” said journalist Amanda Ferguson. Newspaper breakfast.

“The legal challenge to the Troubles Act is set to be heard by the Court of Appeal today and this will continue until June 17, along with a cross-appeal from victims over whether the new commission of inquiry for reconciliation… will also be heard today.

A British armored car drives through Strabane, Co Tyrone in April 1969. Photo by: PA/PA Archive/PA Images

Whatever the decision, it is this is unlikely to be the final decision and the legislation will likely be appealed again.

“We know that whenever these are legacy cases, they are usually appealed to the highest court possible,” Ms Ferguson said.

“So the British government decided, after this decision in February, to announce in March that it had lodged an appeal with the Court of Appeal.

“The UK Government has said it remains committed to implementing its Inheritance Act and establishing the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

“He believes this will bring better outcomes for victims and survivors of the Troubles by giving them more information about what happened to their loved ones – but this is very widely contested within victims’ communities.”

‘Tthere is no universal solution.

The amnesty was strongly contested by victims’ groupswho argued that this denied them the opportunity to ever obtain justice for their loved ones.

However, the British government believes the new ICRIR will mean “robust and effective mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the past”.

“It feels like the victim community is always at the center of new trauma,” Ms. Ferguson said.

“On top of the trauma they have already experienced.

“As always, when it comes to the North, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

“Some people may be interested in contacting the ICRIR to obtain a little more information.

“However, others believe that the UK government is introducing legislation to protect ex-soldiers and that it is not about reconciliation or getting better outcomes for people.

“So the long fight for justice continues for many families in Northern Ireland, and in some cases it has lasted for more than 50 years. »

Britain’s Labor Party voted against the Legacy Act and promised to scrap it if elected in July.

No party in the Northern Ireland Assembly supports the legislation.

Main image: Remembering Bloody Sunday in London. Photo by: Alamy.com