Sinn Féin Policing & Justice spokesperson Gerry Kelly said today that the British government’s legacy proposals are a cruel blow to victims and their families, some of whom have been waiting for truth and justice for more than five decades.

And he said that the British State’s attempt to pull down the shutters on citizens attempting to access the courts is akin to the actions of a totalitarian state.

Gerry Kelly said:

“These latest proposals are effectively an amnesty through the back door for British state forces, their intelligence services and agents who murdered Irish citizens during the conflict in Ireland.

“These proposals have been opposed by the victims, their families, by the political parties and by the Irish government.

“It is yet another example of this Tory government attempting to bin an international agreement made with the Irish government and the other parties at Stormont House in 2014 which gave victims and their families access to truth, justice and reconciliation.

“This is also an attempt to shut citizens out of the courts, to deny families inquests on the deaths of their loved ones, to deny access to judicial reviews and to the civil courts.

“The British government is acting like a totalitarian state and their actions are a cruel blow to families who have waited more than five decades on truth and justice.

“The campaigns by the families cannot be wished away by a British government determined to pull a veil of secrecy over the actions of the state during the conflict.

“Sinn Féin will continue to stand with the families in their campaigns for truth and justice.

“There is also an onus on the Irish government to stand up for the agreement it made with the British government and oppose this latest heartless attempt to close down truth and justice.”