Trevor Ringland: We need to do legacy properly or not at all, and the Stormont House plan will keep the focus on security force killings, not on terrorism

The idea that the structures included in the Stormont House Agreement are needed is a great lie that will only serve to delay justice further for those who deserve it. Yet, thanks to the government’s plan to fast-track this process, we could have legislation on the statute book in 70 days, short-circuiting proper debate and a consultation process that has not been heeded or concluded.

The result will be that resources for legacy are targeted at a relatively small number of deaths caused by the security forces, rather than the vast majority of killings, all of them murders, perpetrated by paramilitaries. That’s in the context of over 700 unsolved murders of policemen and soldiers, which makes the disparity particularly shameful.

When it was determined that the most prolific perpetrator of crimes during the conflict, the IRA, was to be included in any political solution – at the insistence of the politicians of Irish nationalism, backed by the UK government – it compromised our ability to investigate the past properly. By default or design, the two governments avoided applying normal standards of justice.

In addition the police were under resourced and lost valuable knowledge and expertise due to downsizing.

If we wanted to ‘move on’ from the past, in the way that is sometimes suggested, there would have to be contrition from those who committed crimes. If there were clear, unconditional apologies from the organisations involved and an acceptance that political violence was always unjustified and wrong, then there might be a basis for progress.

My sense is that only republican paramilitaries would be instructed to maintain that their crimes were necessary and justified.

Then we have no alternative but to deal with crimes properly. We must use the structures that already exist and they should be properly resourced.

For those who give full disclosure and unconditionally apologise for their crimes their convictions could be recorded but suspended and action against them closed.

If the government goes ahead with the Stormont House plan, they are blighting our futures by encouraging those who offer nothing other than a continuation of the battles of our past that led to so much tragedy in a futile conflict.

To do that would be unforgiveable.