Troubles Bill strengthened to deliver greater truth and accountability for victims and better protections for veterans

The Government will today [Monday 19 October] strengthen the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill through a substantial package of amendments designed to deliver greater truth and accountability for victims and families, while providing clear protections for veterans.

The changes include measures to strengthen the new Legacy Commission, such as by setting deadlines for public bodies to hand over information.

The strengthened Bill is intended to address the long-standing legacy commitments of the Good Friday Agreement and give families the greatest possible opportunity to get the answers they have waited years for.

Other amendments enable the Commission to use the expertise of police forces to assist investigations and introduce regular inspections of the Commission’s work. 

During Committee Stage, the House of Commons will also debate the measures brought forward by the Government to ensure that legacy processes treat our veterans who served in Northern Ireland fairly, and with dignity and respect. 

This includes protection from repeated investigations, protection from cold calling, and a formal recognition of the operational context in which members of the security forces served in protecting the rule of law. 

The bolstered Bill carefully navigates one of the most sensitive challenges of legacy reform by striking a clear, balanced path forward: delivering meaningful information and acknowledgement  for victims and survivors, while safeguarding service personnel and veterans who served with distinction under lawful authority.

Speaking ahead of the House of Commons Committee Stage, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Sir Chris Bryant said:

At its heart, this legislation exists to deliver the unfinished business of the Good Friday Agreement. For far too long, families and victims have been left without the clear, transparent answers they deserve, while veterans have faced prolonged uncertainty and anxiety. 

We must right the wrongs of the Legacy Act, which compounded those harms and failed to deliver the confidence of veterans, victims and families across Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Last week’s substantial amendments will strengthen our Bill immeasurably and I am confident that this framework turns a corner on legacy by putting truth and accountability first whilst upholding our lasting commitment to those who served.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: 

Veterans who served honourably in Northern Ireland in extremely challenging circumstances to protect lives and uphold the rule of law should not face an endless cycle of reinvestigation.

The amendments to the Bill, developed in consultation with veterans, rightly ensure they have the strong and lasting legal protections they deserve after the service they have given to our country.

As the Bill enters its final stages of debate in the House of Commons, the Government remains focused on securing a lasting legacy solution - one grounded in truth, integrity and accountability for all communities affected by the Troubles.

It will deliver legacy mechanisms which command broad public confidence and give families the greatest possible opportunity to obtain answers by:

• Scrapping the Legacy Act’s conditional immunity scheme which would have allowed terrorists to escape justice for their crimes;
• Fundamentally reforming the Independent Commission for Reconciliation for Information Recovery, to be renamed Legacy Commission;
• Unlocking the fullest possible cooperation by the Irish Government with the reformed Commission.
• Implementing clear and workable protections for former service personnel; and;
• Establishing the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval (ICIR) under the Joint Framework agreed with the Irish Government.

The Bill is expected to conclude its passage through the House of Commons tomorrow, after which it will proceed to the House of Lords.