The new British government announced on Wednesday that it will abolish the amnesty program for former soldiers and militants implicated in the long-standing violence in Northern Ireland, a decision that has been met with opposition from all major parties in the region and the Irish government.
This decision aligns with the Labour Party's election pledge to revoke and replace the Legacy Act, which the government criticized for 'denying justice to the families and victims of the Troubles.' Specifically, the 'conditional immunity scheme' will be repealed, as it has been deemed incompatible with Britain's commitments under the European Convention on Human Rights by the Northern Ireland High Court. Additionally, the policy preventing victims and their families from filing civil lawsuits will be overturned.
The act has faced opposition from victims' families, human rights organizations, and both British unionist and Irish nationalist political parties, and has been the subject of over 20 legal challenges in Northern Ireland. The previous Conservative government had argued that prosecutions related to events up to 55 years ago were becoming less likely and that the bill could help bring closure to the conflict.
This announcement precedes a meeting between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Irish counterpart Simon Harris at the British government's Chequers country residence later on Wednesday. Harris, who assumed office in April, has advocated for a 'great reset' in relations with Britain, which have been strained in recent years. His government has been contesting the Legacy Act at the European Court of Human Rights.
Approximately 3,600 people were killed over three decades of conflict between Irish nationalist militants, pro-British 'loyalist' paramilitaries, and the British military before a 1998 peace agreement largely brought an end to the conflict, locally known as the 'Troubles.'
