MPs to probe dramatic change in legacy proposals by government

The NI Affairs Committee already conducted an inquiry on the government’s 2017-19 proposals, which were largely based on the Stormont House Agreement (SHA) of 2014. That inquiry remained incomplete pending public consultations in NI.

On March 18 Secretary of State Brandon Lewis issued dramatic fresh proposals, which the MPs will now investigate.

Up until last month, many unionists had complained that SHA plans, would disproportionately investigate the UK state’s role in the Troubles, while letting paramilitary groups off the hook.

Critics said that some 90% of the killings were terrorist murders, while the UK state was responsible for a comparatively tiny proportion, most of which, supporters said, were carried out lawfully in combatting terrorism. The Police Federation also complained that the SHA proposals would see retired lengthy investigations into retired police officers for ‘non-criminal misconduct’.

However republicans had argued that many of them had already gone to jail and that they wanted to see more retired police and soldiers suffer the same fate, adding that they wished to investigate their belief that there was widespread collusion by the UK in many paramilitary murders.

The SHA proposed four different bodies to deal with the past;- criminal investigations, information retrieval, an oral history archive and a reconciliation group.

However last month Mr Lewis outlined a new approach, which included a single independent body to oversee information retrieval and investigation; a shift in focus to information retrieval as the core service for individuals and families; full police investigations only in cases with a “realistic prospect” of prosecution due to “new compelling” evidence; and the closure of all other cases with a bar on future re-investigation.

The committee says their latest inquiry will examine the extent to which the latest proposals meet the needs of victims, survivors and their families.

Committee chair Simon Hoare welcomed government commitment for new legislation. “However, these proposals differ from those in the Stormont House Agreement, which is why they require scrutiny,” he said. “A better system, and new institutions, are needed to tackle the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It is essential that the Government gets this right not only for individuals and families affected, who want to know what happened to their loved ones, but to support reconciliation in Northern Ireland for future generations, too.” The inquiry will provide a forum for people to share their views, and will aim to ensure that forthcoming legislation is balanced, fair and appropriate, he added.

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