The UK government intends to introduce a statute of limitations which would end all prosecutions in Troubles-related cases, Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis confirmed.
The cabinet minister promised a new independent body to help families find out what happened to loved ones in killings and other legacy cases involving ex-paramilitaries and former members of the security forces.
“We know the prospect of the end of criminal prosecutions will be difficult for some to accept, and this is not a position we take lightly,” Mr Lewis told MPs on Wednesday.
The cabinet minister added: “We’ve come to the view that this is … the best way to move Northern Ireland further along the road to reconciliation.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer condemned the government’s plan for a “blanket” amnesty for crimes committed during the Troubles era, claiming it was “plain wrong” to end prosecutions.
“I’ve also prosecuted terrorists as the Director of Public Prosecutions, so I know how difficult and how sensitive this is. But a blanket amnesty, including for terrorists, is plain wrong,” Sir Keir said at PMQs.
Labour accused the government of putting party political interests before the country. Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Louise Haigh it would be “foolish and unsustainable” to push legislation through without support from any political party in the province.
Ms Haigh told the Commons: “Any proposal to deal with legacy must have victims and the communities of Northern Ireland at its heart.”
She added: “Little wonder that many have greeted today’s proposals with deep scepticism and wonder if it is more an exercise in shoring up narrow party support than it is in delivering the reconciliation communities in Northern Ireland crave.”
Promising to introduce legislation “by the end of this autumn”, Mr Lewis said it would include proposals for a new independent body to focus on the recovery of information about Troubles-related deaths.
But the Northern Ireland secretary insisted criminal investigations had proved damaging. “It’s clear the current system for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles is not working,” Mr Lewis said.
“It’s now a difficult, in fact painful, truth that the focus on criminal investigations is increasingly unlikely to deliver successful criminal justice outcomes, but all the while it continues to divide communities and it fails to obtain answers for a majority of victims and families.”
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the plan to introduce a statute of limitations for Troubles-related offences would be “rejected by everyone” in Northern Ireland.
The DUP MP added: “There can be no equivalence between the soldier and police officer who served their country and those cowardly terrorists who hid behind masks and terrorised under the cover of darkness.
“The Democratic Unionist Party, both publicly and privately, has, and continues to oppose, any form of amnesty … We will oppose any plans that give an effective amnesty to those who murdered and maimed over many decades.”
Claiming the government wanted to see “truth and reconciliation” in Northern Ireland, Mr Lewis suggested that ending prosecutions would encourage more people to come forward with information.
Republic of Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney said Dublin would oppose any unilateral move to end all Troubles-era prosecutions.
Mr Coveney said the UK government plan was not a “fait accompli” – promising he would push for “inclusive dialogue to try to agree consensus”.
