Grieving parents and politicians in Northern Ireland are banking on the UK’s new Labor Government to repeal and replace widely contested legislation protecting the immunity of people cooperating in relation to the decades-long ‘Troubles’.
He new labor government of the United Kingdom, which has been formed in London, has raised hopes on the other side of the North Atlantic about the possibility of the repeal of the controversial Legacy and Reconciliation Law of Northern Ireland.
The law, which came into force in September 2023, is intended to close all future investigations into unsolved murderswhich were carried out by Irish republicans, British loyalists and members of the British security services during the Troubles in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 1998.
More than 3,500 people died in the conflictbut many families on both sides have been denied truth and justice, for multiple reasons.
Many accusations still to be resolved
Among them, accusations of collusion between loyalists and the British, and the lack of proper prosecution of members of the so-called Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army.
John, son of Pat Molloy, was murdered in north belfast by members of the Ulster Volunteer Force, UVF, a Protestant group, in 1996. The father of the deceased, a Catholic, told ‘Euronews’ that trying to obtain answers about his son’s death, from the British Government, has been impossible.
“Unfortunately, the Historical Investigations Team told us that John’s killers were all involved in the Mount Vernon UVF group who, after all, we discovered, were giving information to the Police on their own. In other words, there was collusion“he indicated.
“These guys were immune to prosecution, because they were Giving information about crime to the Police already a special division,” continued Pat Molloy.
At the Wave trauma center in north Belfast, Molloy added that the passing of the Legacy Act last fall was like receiving a second coup by the British state.
“Was a big kick for us here at Wave. “We didn’t expect them to do this kind of thing,” she said.
“I have always believed in Justice. My parents told me that if you ever got into trouble, go to the Police. I have never gotten answers from the Police. “As far as I’m concerned, the Legacy Act was created to end prosecutions of those responsible in the British Army.”
If there has been something that has united rival and opposing political parties in divided Northern Ireland in recent years, it has been the Legacy Act.
Many believe that it was created to draw a line under investigations that are proving difficult to conclude due to the difficulties in accumulating evidence, and the fact that so many people who were instrumental in the controversial murders are now dead.
According to Matthew O’Toole, a member of the Social Democratic Labor Party and MP in the Stormont Legislative Assembly, his colleagues will do everything possible to ensure that the brits keep their word abolishing legislation.
“We will hold them to their word. It is essential that they repeal, replace and, frankly, eliminate this abominable inherited law“, he claimed.
“It was one of the worst things the previous Conservative Government did. It was designed to protect British soldiers from accountability, even soldiers who hThey had murdered people in the streets of this nation. It also had the effect of giving immunity to the paramilitaries, republicans and loyalists who had taken lives, and who are completely despised by the local political parties. We will hold accountable new british government to get rid of it,” said Matthew O’Toole.
On July 17, Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris will meet the new British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Political leaders are expected to discuss the Legacy Law.
The Secretary of State of the Irish Government, Thomas Byrne TD, told ‘Euronews’ that in Dublin feel relief by the fact that the Starmer Labor Government promises to maintain what it assured in the opposition.
“We are very pleased that the Labor Party has renewed his commitment to repeal and replace the Legacy Law,” he said.
ADVERTISING“The Taoiseach has already held talks with the Prime Minister. The Tánaiste (deputy Prime Minister) has held talks with the Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom and the secretary for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn. Many politicians in Ireland have met, or are familiarwith a large part of the new British Cabinet,” he indicated.
“Excellent relations have been established and I think that can really be the basis for the two Governments work closely in the interests of peace and prosperity in the north of Ireland,” Byrne said.
Before the British general election, the Irish Government had initiated a interstate legal action against the British for the introduction of the controversial legislation.
In the absence of a definitive date for its abolition, the ball is now in the court of the United Kingdom authorities, which They will decide when the law disappears. Then, and only then, the Irish government will formally withdraw its proposed legal action against the British.
