Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly said today that the British government needs to deliver on its commitment to scrap the Legacy Act and implement the Stormont House Agreement legacy mechanisms.

Gerry Kelly was speaking after the British government abandoned an appeal against a High Court ruling that its Legacy Act is incompatible with the Human Rights Act.

Gerry Kelly said:

“We welcome the fact that the British government has abandoned its appeal against a High Court Ruling that the Legacy Act is incompatible with the Human Rights Act.

“Human rights experts, churches, the US, UN, EU, the Irish government and all main political parties on this island have opposed this cynical and cruel piece of legislation.

“Since the Legacy Act was first introduced, state bodies have continued to hide information from families to cover up the British government’s shameful actions in Ireland and to protect their soldiers and agents.

“The shutting down of legacy inquests and investigations have already had a very real and human impact on families.

“It is welcome that inquests halted by the imposition of the Legacy Act will be resumed and that families who lost loved ones during the conflict will once again have access to the criminal and civil courts.

“However, the ICRIR, which the current government wants to retain, does not have the confidence of most victims and survivors and it doesn’t have the powers it needs to deliver truth. 

“The legacy mechanisms agreed at Stormont House by the two governments and political parties in 2014 provided for two separate mechanisms to conduct independent investigations and facilitate information recovery, with both bodies attracting political and public endorsement via the agreement and the subsequent public consultation.

“The British government should scrap its Legacy Act and implement the Stormont House Agreement mechanisms in a human rights’ compliant manner.”