Troubles prosecution ban angers Ireland
Ministers faced a backlash from Ireland yesterday over the proposal to ban Troubles-era prosecutions. Micheal Martin, the Taoiseach, claimed the proposal to block trials of British veterans or IRA terrorists would represent a “breach of trust”. The DUP and Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland’s two main parties, also raised concerns about the prospect of a statute of limitations on offences committed before the signing of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.
MINISTERS faced an angry backlash yesterday over the proposal to ban Troubles-era prosecutions, as Northern Irish parties, victims’ groups and the Irish government voiced deep alarm.
The plan to block trials of British veterans or IRA terrorists and move instead to a “truth and reconciliation” model in Northern Ireland was revealed this week by The Daily Telegraph.
The DUP and Sinn Fein, the region’s two main parties, heaped censure on the prospect of a statute of limitations on prosecuting offences committed prior to the signing of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.
Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’neill, Deputy First Minister, called it a “slap in the face” for victims, while Gavin Robinson,
the DUP MP, said veterans should not be subjected to a “cycle of reinvestigations” in the absence of new evidence, but insisted that access to justice was a vital principle for dealing with the region’s history.
The Irish government also expressed fierce opposition, with Taoiseach Micheal Martin claiming the proposal would represent a “breach of trust”. Leo Varadkar, the deputy leader, said he was “deeply alarmed” and would not support any such decision, arguing that victims and families had a right to justice.
Irish ministers were said to be furious that Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland Secretary, did not mention the plan during a range of engagements in Dublin on Wednesday.
Victims of republican, loyalist and state violence also expressed outrage at what would amount to blanket protection from prosecution for ex-security force members and former paramilitaries. Mark Kelly, who was a teenager when he saw his 12-year-old sister, Carol-ann, die after being struck in the head by a plastic bullet in Belfast in 1981, described it as “absolutely disgraceful”.
Critics have condemned the proposals as a form of amnesty, but government insiders reject the characterisation. They argue that the plan would not involve a formal pardon and former convictions would also still stand.
It is understood that the Government is still finalising its blueprint and no definitive decisions have been made. The current thinking is that the statute of limitations would dovetail with a new process focused on information retrieval and recovery, in an echo of the approach adopted in post-apartheid South Africa.
New legislation to deal with Northern Ireland legacy issues is set to be announced in the Queen’s Speech on Tuesday.
Johnny Mercer, who was last month sacked as veterans’ affairs minister before he could resign over Northern Ireland veterans being taken to court, insisted prosecutions must remain an option. He told The Daily Telegraph: “Where new and compelling evidence is actually discovered of egregious wrongdoing, pathways to justice for victims should remain open on all sides.”
Labour’s shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Louise Haigh, said the proposals would amount to an “inexcusable” betrayal of victims, and hit out at the lack of consultation by the Government.
A UK government spokesman did not deny reports that a statute of limitations was planned. He said: “We want to deal with the past in a way that helps society in Northern Ireland to look forward rather than back.
“It is clear to all that the current system for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles is not working for anyone, failing to bring satisfactory outcomes for families, placing a heavy burden on the criminal justice system, and leaving society in Northern Ireland hamstrung by its past.”
‘It is clear to all that the current system for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles is not working’