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Northern Ireland legacy bill: Erasing the past?

Monday, 06 November 2023 12:26 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 06 November 2023 2:07 AM ]

It is the one piece of recent legislation affecting Ireland that has been robustly opposed by every group from Republicans to Loyalists and every persuasion in between.

The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill was passed on September 5 and would offer those accused of murder conditional immunity. It has been heavily criticized by victims' groups, human rights organizations and all of Northern Ireland's political parties.

One of the loudest voices speaking out against the new bill is Andree Murphy, deputy director of Relatives for Justice, a national victim support NGO. The organization saw its phones ring off the hooks as the relatives of victims, who are still seeking answers regarding the fate of their loved ones, are distraught with the knowledge that they may well go to their graves never knowing the truth.

A decades-long human rights advocate, Murphy knows well that the mobilization to repeal this legislation must begin in earnest. One of the underreported aspects of the new legacy bill is the British government essentially ensuring that its soldiers will be able to escape justice despite what they have done in the past.

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