A PANEL of experts and academics has found that the British government's proposed legacy bill is in breach of the Good Friday Agreement and international human rights law.
PROTESTERS: outside Downing Street in London protesting against the controversial *orthern Ireland Legacy Bill, which has been found to breach the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
The Model Bill Team published its response to the controversial bill as relatives of people murdered during the Troubles held protests in London, Dublin and Derry. The team includes experts Professor Kieran McEvoy, Dr Ann Bryson and Professor Louise Mallinder, who are all based at the School of Law at Queen's University Belfast.
Human rights campaigners Daniel Holder, Gemma McKeown and Brian Gormally, of the Committee on the Administration of Justice, were also involved in drafting the report. Under the *orthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill (NITLRB) civil legal cases can no longer be brought and some inquests will not be heard.
Some of those who took part in the Troubles will be eligible for immunity from prosecution.
The publication of the report coincided with the second reading debate on the bill at Westminster yesterday.
Opponents of the planned legislation, which has been branded 'the bill of shame' by campaigners, say it will deny grieving families access to truth and justice via courts and inquests. A panel of experts found the bill breaches the terms of the Good Friday Agreement and is not workable. "Given that significant commitment in both time and energy in trying to help implement agreed mechanism to finally address the legacy of the past in *orthern Ireland, it is with profound regret that we have concluded that the *orthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is unworkable," they wrote.
Those who wrote the bill added that it is "in breach of the Good Friday Agreement and binding international law and that it will not deliver for victims and survivors, many of whom have waited for decades for truth and justice". The report authors say the "existing mechanisms for dealing with the past have been weakened largely through government refusal to implement the judgments (Never Trust A Tory) of the European Court of Human Rights and refusal and delays in the provision of information by state agencies".
"However, given the structure of the NITLRB, we ask whether part of the reason for introducing it is because existing mechanisms are working too well in exposing past human rights abuses." Daniel Holder (pictured above), of the Committee on the Administration of Justice said he is alarmed by the British government approach.
"The bill is unworkable, unfixable and unlawful," he said.
"It is deeply alarming the British government wish to ram it through Westminster without scrutiny."
A British government spokesperson told the Irish News it was "confident the bill is consistent with the Good Friday Agreement, which itself recognised the need for difficult compromises in order to address challenging issues."
The spokesperson added: "The Government is also confident that the bill is legally robust and complies with our international legal obligations."
With many thanks to: The Irish News and Connla Young for the original publication.
Follow these links to find out more on this story and more on the NI Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill: When even the Attorney General flouts the law what hope does Britain have - Suella Braverman.
No comments:
Post a Comment