Scrap the ‘Impunity Bill’, RSI tells UK government as deadline looms

(London, 5 September 2023) – The UK government should drop its plans to finalise the ‘Legacy Bill’ for Northern Ireland this week, wiping out any hope of truth or justice for many victims and survivors of the Troubles, Rights & Security International (RSI) said today. The organisation characterised the legislation as an ‘Impunity Bill’ that will allow the perpetrators of Troubles-era human rights violations to go unscathed, and set a damaging model for post-conflict accountability worldwide.

‘This “Impunity Bill” undermines the peace process at a point of growing political tension in Northern Ireland,’ said Jacob Smith, UK Accountability Team Leader at RSI. ‘The bill could literally allow former paramilitaries, British soldiers and members of the security services to get away with murders, torture and sexual assaults they committed during the Troubles.’

The Legacy Bill will also halt investigations that are already ongoing into potentially criminal conduct and other serious human rights violations. RSI does not consider that the government’s planned Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery will be capable of conducting investigations in line with international standards that require the UK government to ensure that authorities effectively investigate serious rights violations.

Today, RSI will meet with prominent victims’ rights campaigner Raymond McCord, whose son was killed by loyalist paramilitaries in alleged collusion with state forces. McCord will lead a delegation of victims in continuing their opposition to the bill before the House of Lords this afternoon, and  said today that the government ‘…will attempt once again this week to wipe out truth and justice for the thousands of victims’ families with their Legacy/Amnesty Bill. No murderer will be allowed to be convicted or prosecuted. We, the victims, will be in the House of Lords in our battle to stop the bill.’ McCord will attend Parliament with other victims and their families, including those who lost loved ones in the Birmingham bombings, as part of his Truth and Justice Movement campaign.

Parties and rights groups throughout Northern Ireland, as well as other legal experts, have condemned the Legacy Bill for breaching international human rights law. Critical voices have included the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and several UN Special Rapporteurs. RSI anticipates that if the bill is passed, it will quickly become the subject of legal challenges.

RSI continues to urge the UK government to scrap the Legacy Bill in its entirety, even at this late stage in the parliamentary procedure. We also call on members of the House of Lords to prevent the legislation from passing through its chamber today. Along with victims and political parties in Northern Ireland, we see the implementation of the cross-party Stormont House Agreement of 2014 as representing the best means for reconciliation and addressing the legacy of the Troubles. The SHA provides mechanisms to address the hundreds of civil and criminal cases that remain pending -- cases that affect people across every community in Northern Ireland.

‘As Raymond has said, in passing this Bill the government makes a mockery of truth and justice. Instead, it should ensure that any mechanism it creates for dealing with the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland complies with its international human rights obligations,’ Smith concluded. ‘Northern Ireland stands at a critical juncture – human rights and the rule of law need to be protected and respected at a time when fears of violence are increasing. Respect for human rights is the fundamental basis for reconciliation and the survival of the peace process.’

ENDS