Troubles legacy cases: UK and Ireland governments committed to finding a solution, says Secretary of State Hilary Benn after conference
The UK and Irish governments are committed to finding “a way through” disagreements on Troubles legacy cases, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has said.
Mr Benn met Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin at the British Irish intergovernmental conference at Farmleigh House in Dublin.
They talked about the controversial Legacy Act introduced by the Tories, which halted scores of civil cases and inquests into Troubles deaths.
Labour is committed to repealing and replacing the Legacy Act but has kept a controversial investigative body it set up.
Last year, the Irish government launched legal action against the UK, claiming the Act breaches the European Convention on Human Rights – a case that’s still active.
Mr Martin said he and Mr Benn had a “serious discussion on the question of dealing with the past” and the Irish government’s “continuing concerns” about the legislation.
The Tanaiste said: “My clear view is that victims and their families need avenues to justice and access to information, and significant reform is required to secure that.
“I heard from Hilary on his plans for reform and I appreciate fully that there are relevant ongoing legal cases also.
“We will continue to see if we can find adequate common ground and we are looking for mechanisms that would be human-rights compliant and that will secure the confidence of victims, survivors and families.”
Asked what the Irish people would “tangibly” feel in the reset of British-Irish relationships, Mr Benn referred to the new government’s desire to have a “close relationship” with the EU and ongoing engagement in relation to legacy.
Mr Benn said: “We were all here on this platform opposed to the Legacy Act and we have come in committed to repeal and replace it, getting rid of immunity, restoring civil cases, restoring inquests, starting with those that were brought to an end.
“We want to have a system that everyone can have confidence in, and can, in particular, finally, provide answers for many, many families that I have met since I took up post, who have been waiting decades to find out what happened to their loved ones, and I am committed to try and make this work.
“We have agreed between us – the Tanaiste and I – that we will continue to work together to find a way through on this and I think that is a very, very significant manifestation of the new relationship, because it is very different from what went before.”
Mr Martin said he had “already seen the difference” for legacy families seeking information and justice.
He said: “There are real families behind the title, we call it legacy issues, but there are real families, real suffering and people who need to get closure and get information, and to get justice.”
Mr Benn said the pair “reflected on the reset in the relationship between the United Kingdom and the Irish government”.
He continued: “It’s really important to the Prime Minister Keir Starmer and to the new Labour government that we have a strong working relationship, and I think the spirit of the dialogue that has characterised today’s meeting of the conference is a reflection of that.
“It also reminds us that we make the greatest progress above all in Northern Ireland when the British government and the Irish government work together.”