British government to scrap Northern Ireland amnesty scheme

17/7/2024 18:55

        Britain's new government said on Wednesday it would scrap an amnesty scheme for ex-soldiers and militants involved in decades of violence in Northern Ireland that has been opposed by all major parties in the region and by the Irish government.
        
        The move fulfils a promise in the Labour Party's election manifesto to repeal and replace the Legacy Act, which the government said "denies justice to the families and victims of the Troubles".
        
        Specifically, it will repeal the "conditional immunity scheme," which has been found by the Northern Ireland High Court to be incompatible with Britain's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. It will also reverse the policy of prohibiting victims and families from bringing civil claims.
        
        Victims' families, human rights organisations and both British unionist and Irish nationalist political parties have opposed the act, which has been subject to more than 20 legal challenges in Northern Ireland.