"The Northern Ireland secretary has said new measures aiming to deal with crimes committed during the Troubles will address the unfinished business of the peace agreement struck 27 years ago. Hilary Benn said the significant reforms would replace the controversial Legacy Act 2023 brought in by the Conservative government, which he said had failed to confront the past, partly because it had been rejected by all five main political parties and victims' families."
"Benn said a perfect outcome is not obtainable but that he hoped the measures would give answers to victims on both sides of the political divide, republican and loyalist. What do the new Northern Ireland Troubles legacy proposals entail? Dealing with the legacy of the Troubles is hard, and that is why it has been for so long, [it is] the unfinished business of the Good Friday agreement, said Benn,"
The reforms aim to address unresolved crimes from the Troubles by replacing the Legacy Act 2023 with a new mechanism intended to deliver truth, justice and accountability for victims. The Legacy Act lacked broad political and victims' family support and had been politically rejected in Northern Ireland, while veterans endorsed it for ending inquests and prosecutions of former soldiers and state agents. The new mechanism establishes a joint British-Irish framework that will require legislation in both jurisdictions. The proposals have faced immediate unionist opposition over Irish government involvement and raise tensions between seeking answers for victims and contesting retrospective prosecutions.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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