RSI in the House of Lords opposing Northern Ireland amnesty bill

1st December 2022

On 23 November 2022, Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick, a member of the House of Lords, publicly raised RSI’s concerns about the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill during a Committee Stage debate. 

Quoting from our briefing, Baroness Ritchie agreed with our analysis:

‘Amnesty International and [Rights and Security International], formerly known as British Irish Rights Watch, have indicated that the Bill is unacceptable.’ (Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick, col 1410)

RSI has argued that the Legacy Bill, if enacted, would:

• Breach human rights laws obligating the government to effectively investigate alleged human rights violations such as killings;
• Infringe on the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, jeopardising the fragile and ongoing peace process in Northern Ireland;
• Further deny the dignity of victims and survivors who have already waited decades for truth and justice, leading to real suffering and ongoing damage to NI society; and
• Set a harmful international model for impunity following a conflict, including a lack of accountability for killings and torture.

We maintain our view that the Legacy Bill should be scrapped.

For more information on RSI’s impact on the Legacy Bill in Parliament, see the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ report (here), and RSI’s research (here and here).