Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly has said the British government should end the fiction that its cruel and callous legacy bill does anything to promote reconciliation.

Speaking after British Secretary of State Chris Heaton Harris said the Tory government will proceed with the fundamentally flawed bill, Gerry Kelly said:

“The British Government, should scrap its flawed Legacy Bill and end the fiction that it can contribute anything to reconciliation.

“The reality is that this bill is about prolonging state cover-ups and denying truth to families about the deaths of their loved ones.

“Some of those families have been waiting for truth and justice for more than 50 years and this bill which will deny families access to the courts is cruel, callous and in breach of international law and international human rights standards.

“This reckless legislation is being rushed through and ignores opposition from victims and families, all the political parties on the island of Ireland, human rights experts,  the UN, as well as officials in the US and EU.

“The British government should scrap this legislation and get on with implementing the legacy mechanisms agreed at Stormont House by the two governments and political parties in 2014 in a human rights’ compliant manner.”