Amnesty law breaches human rights, says judge

A new law that gives immunity from prosecution for most offences committed during Northern Ireland’s decades of sectarian violence is not compliant with human rights, a judge in Belfast ruled Wednesday.

The British government’s Legacy and Reconciliation Bill, passed in September, stops most prosecutions for alleged killings by militant groups and British soldiers during “the Troubles” — the period in Northern Ireland from the 1960s to the ’90s in which more than 3,500 people died.

The law was widely opposed by people in Northern Ireland and the Irish government. Critics say it shuts down access to justice for victims and survivors.

Ruling in a legal challenge brought by victims and their families, Justice Adrian Colton said the law’s provision for conditional immunity from prosecution breaches the European Convention on Human Rights.

The judge also said the law will not contribute to peace in Northern Ireland.

Colton ruled that a new body set up to probe Troubles killings could carry out human rights-compliant investigations.

Britain’s government said it will consider the ruling carefully but added that it remained “committed” to implementing the legacy bill.

Amnesty International said there were “significant questions” for Britain’s government to answer, and urged officials to repeal the law.

“The core part of this legislation was the immunity from prosecution. That has now been stripped out, struck out from the law. So it’s back to Parliament and back to the U.K. government about what they are going to do next,” said Grainne Teggart of Amnesty.