Legacy Act prevented ‘landing zone’ being reached for Troubles victims – Harris
Legacy Act prevented ‘landing zone’ being reached for Troubles victims – Harris
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The Legacy Act prevented a “landing zone” being reached that could have enabled Troubles victims to secure truth and answers, Ireland’s deputy premier Simon Harris has said. The Tanaiste said he hoped that the Irish Government would in future be able to suspend its interstate legal case against the UK Government over the Act, subject to the “right conditions being met”.
The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, introduced by the Conservatives, halted scores of civil cases and inquests into Troubles deaths. It also introduced a provision to give conditional immunity to perpetrators of Troubles crimes in exchange for their co-operation with a new truth recovery body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
The law was opposed by victims’ groups in Northern Ireland and all the main political parties at Stormont. The Irish Government was also vehemently opposed to it and in 2023 initiated an interstate legal case against the UK in the European Court of Human Rights, claiming the Act breached the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The case remains active, with ministers in Dublin wanting to see how Labour resolves its concerns over the legislation before any decision is taken to withdraw the action. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn recently set out the UK Government’s plan to repeal and replace the Act.
