Brandon Lewis confirms government will impose amnesty for all Troubles related cases

Mr. Lewis described the government's recommendations as the "best and only way".

The formal confirmation of the amnesty has been rejected by people on both sides of the divide in Northern Ireland.

“We know that the prospect of the end of criminal prosecutions will be difficult for some to accept and this is not a position we take lightly," said Mr. Lewis.

“But we’ve come to the view that this is the best and only way to facilitate an effective information retrieval and provision process, and the best way to help Northern Ireland move further along the road to reconciliation.

“It is in reality a painful recognition of the very reality of where we are," he added.

Mr. Lewis went on to claim the proposals put forward by the government will allow families who lost loved ones during the Troubles to "get answers".

“This body will be focused on helping families to find out the truth of what happened to their loved ones. Where families do not want the past raked over again they would be able to make this clear.

“For those families that want to get answers, the body will have the full powers to seek access to information and find out what happened.”

Mr Lewis said another proposal included a “major oral history initiative”, adding: “It’d create opportunities for people from all backgrounds to share their experiences and perspectives related to the Troubles and, crucially, to learn about those of others.”