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Legacy Act was 'completely wrong' - Hilary Benn Legacy Act repeal doesn't match Labour pledge - MP
(about 1 hour later)
Benn has begun the process to formally repeal the Act “I think that the ICRIR unfortunately for me is permanently tainted and damaged," Finucane said
The controversial Legacy Act was "completely wrong", Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has said as he begins the process to formally repeal it. The Labour government's repeal of the controversial Legacy Act does not match a pledge made by Keir Starmer, a Sinn Féin MP has said.
Brought in by the Conservative government, the act put a ban on inquests and civil actions that were related to incidents during the Troubles. John Finucane said it was not "repeal as people understood it when Labour first made that commitment prior to the election".
Hilary Benn said it cannot be justified that "there is one part of the United Kingdom where people are denied their right to bring a civil case or to have an inquest". Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn described the act as "completely wrong", after beginning the process to formally repeal it on Wednesday.
The act also offered the conditional amnesty to people suspected of Troubles-related crimes in exchange for co-operating with a new information recovery body. Brought in by the Conservative government, the act put a ban on inquests and civil actions related to incidents during the Troubles.
'Deeply offensive to many' 'Tainted and damaged'
It also offered a conditional amnesty to people suspected of Troubles-related crimes in exchange for co-operating with a new information recovery body.
The act was highly contentious in Northern Ireland, facing opposition from victims bodies and the main political parties.
Labour had pledged to repeal it if they won the election.
On Wednesday, Benn told the House of Commons he was laying a "remedial order", which would formally remove the conditional immunity clause from the act and the ban on new civil actions.On Wednesday, Benn told the House of Commons he was laying a "remedial order", which would formally remove the conditional immunity clause from the act and the ban on new civil actions.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, Benn said the conditional amnesty was "deeply offensive to many people in Northern Ireland" and that there was "almost universal opposition" to the act. Benn said the conditional amnesty was "deeply offensive to many people in Northern Ireland" and that there was "almost universal opposition" to the act.
Victims' groups and all the main political parties in Northern Ireland objected to the act and Labour pledged to repeal it if they won the general election in July. He told Good Morning Ulster on Thursday that it cannot be justified that "there is one part of the United Kingdom where people are denied their right to bring a civil case or to have an inquest".
On Wednesday, Benn also said he would seek to reform the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), a new commission for investigation Troubles killings set up by the act, instead of scrapping it. However, Finucane said there were concerns with the announcement and that he would be "slow to describe this as repeal in the way in which it was described by Keir Starmer when he spoke in Belfast".
Scrapping the Act is not 'sensible' Finucane added that while the ability to reopen civil cases has been reinstated there was a "very staged and deliberately slow process around inquests".
A number of victims' groups had called for the ICRIR to go, but Benn said he did not believe abolishing and starting again is a "sensible way forward". He said Benn's plans to consult on new laws meant that some families "who have been waiting 50 years for an inquest... are hearing that 'there needs to be further delay'."
"No one is getting any younger and they would like to get the answers as quickly as possible," he said. Information commission 'tainted'
Benn indicated the commission would continue operating and that legislation would be brought forward by him in response to recent court judgements to ensure it complied with human rights law. Benn has begun the process to formally repeal the Act
"In the end families will be the judge of whether ICRIR has worked to provide them with the answers they they have been looking for," Benn told Good Morning Ulster. The Sinn Féin MP was also critical of the secretary of state's plan to retain the Information Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), a new commission for investigating Troubles killings set up by the Legacy Act.
Benn has urged those affected to not "make a judgement in advance" on the ICRIR. Benn said on Wednesday that the ICRIR would be retained and reformed instead of scrapped.
He added that legislation would be brought forward by him in response to recent court judgements to ensure it complied with human rights law.
"In the end families will be the judge of whether ICRIR has worked to provide them with the answers they they have been looking for," Benn said, adding that people should "not make a judgement in advance" on the body.
However, Finucane said the ICRIR is "permanently tainted and damaged".
"The proof of that, I think is in the very limited uptake that it has had from families to date."
He said that "cosmetic" changes will not save save the ICRIR and a "completely changed" body is required.
"What we do have is that commitment of money which was given to the ICRIR which could be easily transferred to a body that is human rights compliant," he added.
What is the Legacy Act?What is the Legacy Act?
More than 3,500 people lost their lives during the 30-year conflict in Northern IrelandMore than 3,500 people lost their lives during the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland
The act was introduced by the government to controversially attempt to "draw a line" under the Troubles in Northern Ireland.The act was introduced by the government to controversially attempt to "draw a line" under the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
It was first proposed in 2021 by the then prime minister Boris Johnson as a solution to ending what he called "vexatious prosecutions" of former soldiers, and was passed in 2023.It was first proposed in 2021 by the then prime minister Boris Johnson as a solution to ending what he called "vexatious prosecutions" of former soldiers, and was passed in 2023.
It created a new legacy body known ICRIR to take over all Troubles-era cases from 1 May 2024, including those on the desk of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).It created a new legacy body known ICRIR to take over all Troubles-era cases from 1 May 2024, including those on the desk of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
The act shuts down all historical inquests and it also offered conditional amnesty to suspects.The act shuts down all historical inquests and it also offered conditional amnesty to suspects.
The court ruled the conditional immunity part of the act was incompatible with human rights' legislation and the Windsor Framework.The court ruled the conditional immunity part of the act was incompatible with human rights' legislation and the Windsor Framework.
In late July, the Labour government wrote to the Belfast courts abandoning an appeal against the striking out of the amnesty clause in the legislation.In late July, the Labour government wrote to the Belfast courts abandoning an appeal against the striking out of the amnesty clause in the legislation.