Secretary of State consults victims on Legacy Act repeal

Labour pledged to repeal the Legacy Act if they won the general election in July

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has begun the process of consulting with victims, survivors and families as part of the Government's commitment to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act.

The Act, which was brought in by the Conservative government, introduced a ban on inquests and civil actions related to incidents during the Troubles.

It has been opposed by victims' groups and all the main political parties in Northern Ireland.

Hilary Benn held meetings with the South East Fermanagh Foundation, and the Victims and Survivors Forum in Belfast on Wednesday.

Victims groups are opposed to the Legacy Bill - these protesters are from the South East Fermanagh Foundation

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Benn said he knew that "many victims, survivors and families felt ignored by the previous government’s approach to legacy".

In meetings with victims' groups, he reiterated that the views of victims and survivors "will be central to this Government’s approach to legacy".

“I am grateful to all those with whom I have spoken today, many of whom shared very personal stories about the loss of loved ones during the Troubles", Mr Benn added.

Labour pledged to repeal the Legacy Act if they won the general election in July.

The government repeated that pledge to repeal the Act in the King's Speech.

'SoS isn't in the business of sugar-coating'

The South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) supports victims and survivors of republican and loyalist terrorism.

Kenny Donaldson, SEFF's Director stated: “We welcomed the engagement today with the Secretary of State. He has of course laid out his broad roadmap for where he envisages professing legacy related issues.''

''Today was about him listening to the perspective of our constituency with a view to ensuring that maximum support might be secured in the times ahead from those we support for his legacy change agenda - and that of the Labour Government.''

“Our conversations were frank but very cordial, the impression we obtained today was that this Secretary of State isn’t in the business of sugar-coating but rather will seek to be transparent and collaborative in his approach with us and others.''

“We raised a range of issues covering the operations of ICRIR, the campaign for a reparation for the bereaved, thematics in the context of reporting and the need for this to be built in from the get go, we also spoke of the necessity for the Irish Government to come to the table with something significant and that the UK Government must be more robust in this regard. We also expressed our position that OTR letters should and must be rescinded in law.''

“There were a range of technical discussions pertaining to the governance and operations of present bodies and potential new structures. Today was a first meeting and we received commitment that further engagements will follow over the coming weeks and months.''

“We are clear that outcomes for victims/survivors will be the judgement of success or otherwise and that the Secretary of State must ensure that he reflects the full spectrum of need across victims/survivors. Pathways to justice, truth and accountability must exist for all victims/survivors, and not simply some,” concluded Mr Donaldson.''

What is the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act?

The act was passed by the previous Conservative government in September 2023 despite opposition from Labour, all Northern Ireland parties, several victims' groups and the Irish government.

It created a new legacy body known as the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to take over all Troubles-era cases from May 1 2024, including those on the desk of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

The act shuts down all historical inquests.

The act's most controversial element, the offer of conditional immunity to suspects, has been disapplied following legal action by bereaved families.

The court ruled this part of the act was incompatible with human rights' legislation and the Windsor Framework.

In late July, the Labour government wrote to the Belfast courts abandoning an appeal against the striking out of the amnesty clause in the legislation.

Mr Benn said he looks forward to "continuing discussions in the period ahead".