NI Assembly urgently recalled

The recall was officially confirmed by the Speaker of the Assembly, Alex Maskey, MLA, on Friday.

The Assembly will now meet in the chamber in Stormont at 12.00pm on Tuesday.

The five main parties at Stormont have all spoken out against the UK government's proposal which was delivered by Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Brandon Lewis, MP, in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

The motion to be debated by MLAs on Tuesday is as follows:

"That this Assembly believes that victims and survivors should have a full, material and central role and input into the content and design of structures to address the legacy of

the past; rejects the proposals contained in the British Government’s Command Paper 498 ‘Addressing the Legacy of Northern Ireland’s Past’ for a statute of limitations in relation to criminal investigations and prosecutions and its further proposals in relation to ‘current and future civil cases and inquests’.

"The Assembly further believes that these proposals do not serve the interests, wishes or needs of victims and survivors nor the requirements of truth, justice, accountability, acknowledgement and reconciliation; recalls the approach to dealing with the legacy of the past agreed at Stormont House which also forms the basis of an international treaty between the UK and Irish Governments.

"The Assembly calls on the British Government to withdraw its Command Paper 498; further calls for a commitment by all parties and the British and Irish Governments to truth, justice, acknowledgement, accountability and reconciliation as essential to address the requirements of victims and to demonstrate how these requirements will be addressed in legacy arrangements; and calls for this Assembly to renews its commitment to address the legacy of the past, fulfil the requirements of truth, justice, acknowledgement, accountability and reconciliation and to oppose the British Government introducing legislation to impose its proposals."

The debate will be streamed live online.