The UK government has introduced a package of amendments to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which continues its progress through the House of Commons after a carry over motion passed on Tuesday by a majority of 125.

These amendments aim to establish legal safeguards for Armed Forces veterans and police officers who served during the Troubles. They will require the Attorney General to consent to serious Troubles-related prosecutions. Veterans will not have to travel to Northern Ireland to give evidence, will not be cold called, will have the right to seek anonymity, will have protection in old age including an assessment if they need to give evidence at all, will have the right to be heard, and will not face repeated investigations. There will also be at least one veteran or veterans’ representative on the Victims and Survivors Advisory Group.

The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill replaces the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 and its controversial immunity scheme. Under that scheme, those involved in the Troubles could apply for immunity from prosecution in exchange for information on historic deaths or serious injuries, even if the account did not provide useful information. The Legacy Act was challenged in court and the immunity provisions were found incompatible with European Convention on Human Rights obligations, a ruling upheld by the Court of Appeal. The new Bill repeals this immunity scheme.

Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant said the Bill is about completing the unfinished business of the Good Friday Agreement, getting answers for many families including veterans’ families who lost a loved one. He said the amendments were developed through extensive engagement with veterans’ groups while ensuring the Bill will enable victims and bereaved families to seek information and potentially closure.

The amendments have not been universally welcomed. Sinn Féin has described them as a ‘Veteran’s Charter’. North Belfast MP John Finucane said the British Government cannot claim to be delivering a legacy framework capable of commanding confidence across all communities while introducing measures that risk undermining independent investigations and the equal application of the law. He added there must be no hierarchy of victims and every family deserves equal access to truth and justice, regardless of who killed their loved one.

In the House of Commons, Liberal Democrats’ Northern Ireland spokesman Paul Kohler and DUP leader Gavin Robinson raised issues about the volume of amendments and the time allocated for scrutiny before the committee stage.