Veterans to get ‘additional protections’ in Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, says NI Secretary Hilary Benn
The Troubles Legacy Bill will include “additional protections and reassurances” for veterans on its return to Parliament, the Northern Ireland secretary has said.
Hilary Benn also said there is no such thing as “vexatious” prosecutions, but it is “vital those who served the State” are able to have confidence in the legislation.
Labour is currently progressing its Troubles Bill at Westminster, which will replace the controversial legacy act introduced by the previous government.
MPs backed a remedial order which removed the measures in the previous act providing conditional immunity from prosecutions for Troubles-era crimes, as well as scrapping a bar on future legacy compensation cases.
The immunity provision had been found to be unlawful in the courts.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also indicated that new protections for military veterans will be added to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.
In a written statement today, Mr Benn claimed the bill “has been welcomed by a significant number of victims, families and representative groups”, with many recognising it will allow their cases to “be taken forward sensitively, efficiently and lawfully”.
He said: “The new safeguards the bill will put in place for veterans and other former service personnel have also been broadly welcomed. It has been clear, however, that we must do more through the legislation to safeguard our veterans community.”
He said the government will bring forward “a substantial package of amendments designed to improve the process for victims and families, further safeguard our Operation Banner veterans and ensure oversight of their protections, and clearly differentiate between the role played during the Troubles by our brave security forces and the actions of paramilitary terrorists”.
The bill will now return to the House in the next parliamentary session, he said.
However, the Special Forces Associations (regimental associations for the SAS, Special Boat Service, and Special Reconnaissance Regiment), said the bill is “currently not fit for purpose”.
They have submitted a series of detailed amendments that would ensure the safeguards needed by veterans, they said.
“Despite repeated assurances from Hilary Benn, we must emphasise that the government’s current much vaunted 'protections' do not actually safeguard veterans sufficiently.
“We don’t seek immunity, we simply seek fairness. The egregious mistreatment of veterans and the ongoing infringement of their rights has to end.”
Sinn Fein MP John Finucane said the decision to add further protections for veterans “is designed to placate the British military lobby”.
He added: “The British government has reneged on its previous legacy commitments in pursuit of votes and in the process will attempt to bury the secrets of Britain’s war in Ireland at whatever cost.”
But DUP leader Gavin Robinson MP accused the government of political “drift”. He said it was “extraordinary” that, having “repeatedly defended every aspect of his bill”, Mr Benn is now bringing forward a raft of amendments which will “fundamentally reshape it”.
The government “cannot continue to move between urgency and delay depending on political pressure” he added.