Families of Troubles victims make fresh plea against UK government’s legacy plans
The Bill proceeds to its next parliamentary stage today
Last updated 29th Jun 2022
Families of victims of the Troubles have urged the UK government not to push ahead with controversial legacy and reconciliation legislation.
The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill would stop future inquests and civil actions related to the Troubles.
However, it does not fully close the door to criminal prosecutions.
The draft laws also offer immunity to those who are deemed to have co-operated with an information retrieval body.
The Bill is starting its committee stage in the Commons today (Wednesday).
Briege Voyle, the daughter of Joan Connelly, who was killed in 1971 during what is known as the Ballymurphy Massacre, has issued a fresh plea to MPs not to back the legislation.
She said: “We're proof that something does work. Because we had our inquest, we had our civil action, and it did work.
“We never thought in a million years that we would have got entirely innocent from our loved ones from Justice Siobhan Keegan, last year.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued an apology to the families in the House of Commons for the series of shootings which came in the wake of the introduction of internment in Northern Ireland.
Ms Voyle said if the Government pushes ahead with this legislation it will have a devastating impact for many.
She added: “But at the end of the day, we did, and it was worth 50 years of fighting for and just think that he can just stop it dead and tell the people that come behind us that there's nothing here that works.
“It does work, he has no right to take our rights away from us
“I would say to tell the MPs today in the Commons, don't vote with it.
“It's not right. It's not fair. Article two, the right to life, they're taking it away from people who have waited over 50 years on it.
“Please be humane, think of what you are doing you are trying to take away our right of life. And it's not on!”
The controversial legislation has been widely criticised by Northern Ireland's political parties, as well as victims' campaigners, the Irish Government and Amnesty International.
Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International UK’s Northern Ireland Deputy Director has said the bill “cruelly removes victims’ opportunity for justice”
She said: “This simply cannot be acceptable to any MP who respects the rule of law.
“The bill is so fundamentally flawed that it cannot be fixed, and it must now be withdrawn or rejected. What is morally wrong cannot be made legally right.
“Two days for committee stage is a disgracefully limited amount of time to consider such a significant piece of legislation. The UK Government is curtailing the opportunity for proper scrutiny and further compounding the insult to victims.”
A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Office said: "The Government has spoken to a wide range of victims and survivors, many of whom have made clear that access to information and accountability through effective investigations is vital, and while the prospects of successful criminal justice outcomes are very low, the possibility should not be removed entirely.
"This legislation seeks to strike the right balance between a clear focus on information recovery, while ensuring that those who committed crimes during the Troubles are not able to obtain 'something for nothing'.
"Those who do not co-operate with the independent body will not be granted immunity and will remain liable to prosecution should sufficient evidence exist or come to light.
"This legislation will provide answers and accountability for many families, deliver on our commitments to those who served in Northern Ireland, many of whom are also victims, and help society in Northern Ireland to look forward."
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