Attorney General approval required for serious Troubles prosecutions

Image caption, The bill was first introduced to Parliament last year following agreement on a joint framework with the Irish government

The Attorney General must provide consent for any serious prosecutions related to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, under changes to the government's planned legislation.

It is among a series of amendments the government has tabled for its bill, which seeks to deal with the unresolved legacy of the decades-long violent conflict.

The bill was first introduced to Parliament last year following agreement on a joint framework with the Irish government.

Northern Ireland secretary Sir Chris Bryant said the amendments give "robust, permanent safeguards" to ensure former soldiers and police officers are treated with "fairness, dignity and respect".

The Labour government has faced criticism over delays in passing the bill as well as questions over some of its contents.

It seeks to replace the previous Conservative government's contentious 2023 Legacy Act, which introduced a ban on inquests and civil actions related to Troubles-era incidents.

The act's most controversial element – offering immunity from prosecution to suspects who cooperated with an information recovery body – was disapplied after being found by the courts to be unlawful.

Labour's bill involves a Legacy Commission to investigate Troubles-related killings, a separate information recovery body, and a dedicated legacy unit within An Garda Síochána (Irish police).

The government said its amendments "significantly reduce" the prospect of military veterans facing "rinse and repeat" investigations.

While some MPs have previously argued that planned protections for veterans do not go far enough, Stormont's First Minister Michelle O'Neill has accused the government of giving former soldiers "preferential treatment".

The government said the amendments include:

The legislation will make clear the Commission and coroners "must not regard the lawful conduct of members of the Armed Forces as equivalent to the actions of paramilitaries responsible for acts of terrorism"

The Attorney General will be required to consent to all "serious" Troubles-related prosecutions

Measures to prevent "cold-calling" of veterans and extending provisions for remote attendance as part of the Commission's work

Before any witness can be approached, the Commission should consider if "compelling new evidence exists, or the likelihood of a witness being able to provide new information"

The Commission must consider the "context and command orders" in which military veterans were operating

Former paramilitaries barred from being appointed to the Victims and Survivors Advisory Group, and a requirement for at least one veteran or veterans' representative to be on the panel

A statutory review of the measures for veterans to ensure they "deliver as intended"

Image source, ReutersImage caption, Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant said he is "confident that this legislation will be a significant step towards a more reconciled society"

Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant said the bill was about completing the "unfinished business" of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement peace deal.

"I am confident that this legislation will be a significant step towards a more reconciled society," he said in a statement.

Bryant said the "significant package of amendments" would provide "robust, permanent safeguards that ensure former Armed Forces personnel and police officers are treated with the fairness, dignity, and respect they deserve".

He added: "These amendments have been developed through extensive engagement with veterans' groups, whilst ensuring that this bill will also enable victims and bereaved families, including the families of soldiers, who have waited long years for answers, to seek information and, potentially, closure, on what happened to their loved ones."

Image source, PA MediaImage caption, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said "the amendments will help ensure that decisions on historic cases properly take account of the operational realities faced by our Armed Forces"

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said that "for too long, veterans have faced uncertainty over historic investigations, despite serving honourably during the Troubles".

"The amendments will help ensure that decisions on historic cases properly take account of the operational realities faced by our Armed Forces, who often make split-second decisions in exceptionally difficult circumstances," he added.

The bill is expected to be discussed in the House of Commons on Tuesday and voted on by MPs next week.

If passed it will move to the House of Lords for further consideration by peers.

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