The UK government has introduced new legislation to address what it calls the "unfinished business" of the Troubles, pledging to deliver long-awaited answers to grieving families across Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
A New Approach to Legacy Investigations
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn announced the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which will establish a commission to investigate Troubles-related killings and a separate body for information recovery. This move comes as the Home Office revealed that at least 77 people in England, nearly half of whom were armed forces members, lost their lives in unsolved Troubles-related incidents.
The new Bill, agreed upon as part of a framework with the Irish Government, will create a reformed Legacy Commission with enhanced powers. This follows the shutdown of all UK police investigations into Troubles-related killings in May last year under the previous government's Legacy Act, which also established the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
Victims and Survivors at the Forefront
A new statutory advisory group will be formed to ensure that victims and survivors of the Troubles, including those from a service background, have their voices heard by the Commission. Mr Benn gave his firm assurance that "anyone who was previously involved in paramilitary activity will not be appointed to the victims and survivors group."
Addressing the Commons, with some families and veterans observing from the galleries, Mr Benn stated he had heard their call to "get the answers that you seek." He emphasised the urgency, adding: "We know that this unfinished business falls to us, all of us, because time is running out."
Repealing the Controversial Immunity Scheme
A central feature of the new legislation is the repeal of the immunity scheme that formed part of the previous Legacy Act, which was later ruled unlawful in the courts. Mr Benn explained that the previous Act "fundamentally failed" and that a principal reason for its lack of support was its attempt to offer immunity from prosecution.
"There is no moral equivalence whatsoever between those members of our armed forces who acted lawfully in carrying out their duties and paramilitaries who were responsible for barbaric acts of terrorism," Mr Benn told MPs.
The Home Office provided further context, noting that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had closed more than 1,000 investigations, including 225 concerning the deaths of soldiers and veterans. Among the unsolved attacks cited were:
- The 1974 IRA M62 coach bombing, which killed 12.
- The assassinations of MPs Airey Neave (1979) and Ian Gow (1990).
- The 1993 Warrington bombing which killed two children, Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball.
- The IRA bombings in Guildford, Birmingham, and Manchester.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis, a former member of the Parachute Regiment who served in Northern Ireland, welcomed the new Bill. He stated: "The last government’s Legacy Act shut down police investigations and proposed immunity for terrorists. This Government’s legislation will put that right. It guarantees no terrorist will be able to claim immunity from prosecution."
The Bill is now proceeding through Parliament, with some MPs from Northern Ireland expected to propose amendments during the committee stage.
