Corbyn: Troubles soldiers must face courts

Labour leader says troops should not get immunity over Bloody Sunday, despite amnesty for Republicans

BRITISH soldiers must not be given immunity from prosecution over deaths in Northern Ireland, regardless of how much time has passed, Jeremy Corbyn has said.

The Labour leader said “the law must apply to everyone” over incidents such as the “awful, appalling” Bloody Sunday clashes in 1972.

A retired British paratrooper, known only as Soldier F, was told last week that he is to be charged with the murders of James Wray and William Mckinney at the civil rights march in Londonderry, in which 13 people died.

The case has caused outrage among retired and current members of the Armed Forces, who have pointed out that more than 200 Republican suspects have effectively been granted amnesty after being sent “comfort letters” as part of the peace process.

Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, who is in favour of a statute of limitations for members of the Armed Forces, said the Ministry of Defence would pay Soldier F’s full legal costs, adding that “personnel cannot live in constant fear of prosecution”.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Corbyn said: “I think the law must apply to everyone and I don’t think we should have statutes of limitations on this.

“Obviously a fair and proper judicial process must take place, but what happened on Bloody Sunday was awful, was appalling. Innocent people did die, and that’s surely what the whole Saville inquiry explained,” he said, referring to the inquiry which reported in 2010.

Asked about the “discrepancy” between the way former soldiers were being treated and the way terrorist suspects had effectively been given immunity, Mr Corbyn said: “This came out of the Northern Ireland peace process.

“There’s obviously a case against the soldier concerned and obviously a process will have to take place, but I do think … there has to be an insurance that everyone has to abide by the law. The Good Friday agreement was important, was seminal and was complicated, but it does not provide complete immunity for everybody.”

Baroness Chakrabarti, the shadow attorney general, criticised Mr Williamson for speaking out in support of Soldier F. She told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One that she approved of anyone accused of serious crimes getting “full, complete five-star legal aid”.

But she added: “It’s not about wannabe prime ministers … giving coded messages of support to one defendant or another, it’s about saying anybody who’s been charged with murder … should get the best possible defence.”

Asked about Mr Williamson’s suggestion that the law should be changed to prevent soldiers being charged, she said: “I don’t think we can do that if we believe in the rule of law.”

Solider F, a lance corporal at the time of Bloody Sunday, had a long and distinguished military career and retired in 1988 with the rank of regimental sergeant major. He is now aged in his 70s.

As well as being charged with two murders, he also faces charges for four attempted murders.