‘Drop new Troubles inquiry’
INVESTIGATIONS into The Troubles should be dropped and the money instead spent on victims, four former Northern Ireland secretaries say today.
The Daily Telegraph has learnt that of 1,615 cases investigated by the previous inquiry into deaths at the hands of soldiers and paramilitaries, just 17 were referred to Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service, resulting in three murder convictions.
Now a group of eight politicians who were involved in Northern Ireland is calling on the Government to abandon plans for a second inquiry. In a letter to Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland Secretary, the cross-party group of peers questioned whether a new inquiry was “the best possible use of £150million” when there was “little or no likelihood” of convictions.
Lord Hain, the Northern Ireland secretary from 2005-2007, is leading the intervention. The letter reads: “Experience suggests that it would be a mistake to expect that judicial outcome in
any but a tiny percentage of the crimes that have not already been dealt with. Most of the cases were not easy to investigate immediately ... and the passage of time – up to 50 years – has only made the chances of a successful outcome much less likely.
“We would be grateful if you could seriously consider the prioritisation of victim compensation over investigation in the £150 million the Government is offering.”
The letter is in response to a Government Consultation Paper that proposes that a new Historical Investigations Unit spends five years looking into around 1,700 deaths.
Lord Hain told The Telegraph: “This letter is born out of a concern that pursuing old cases up to 50 years ago is consuming huge resources to little result and causing anguish to those involved, including retired soldiers who have found themselves hunted down long after the Troubles are over.
“These resources should be channelled into victims, not diverting police efforts and incurring huge legal fees. We are not calling for an amnesty, we are simply saying that a line should now be drawn.”
Lord Hain suggested that some of the £150 million would be better spent providing pensions for the estimated 500 people left with severe injuries after being caught up in the violence.
Calling for an “even-handed” investigation, the letter adds: “We note also that currently prosecutions are being considered for former (often now retired) members of the Armed Forces ... but none so far as we can establish for paramilitaries. That cannot be right. We believe that it is essential to treat past cases in an absolutely evenhanded manner.”
It has been countersigned by former Northern Ireland secretaries, also including Lord Murphy, Lord King of Bridgwater and Lord Reid, and Lord Browne of Ladyton, the former defence secretary. Lord Cormack, chairman of the Commons Northern Ireland affairs committee, has also signed the letter along with Lord Patten, who led the review to establish the new Police Service of Northern Ireland and Lord Eames, who was Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.