{"id":24209,"date":"2021-11-30T09:57:23","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T14:57:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24209"},"modified":"2021-11-30T09:57:38","modified_gmt":"2021-11-30T14:57:38","slug":"former-police-ombudsman-in-the-north-calls-british-amnesty-proposals-unacceptable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24209","title":{"rendered":"Former Police Ombudsman In The North Calls British Amnesty Proposals ‘Unacceptable’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Nuala O’Loan said that the plans for a statute of limitations were a denial of justice (PA)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Former police ombudsman Nuala O\u2019Loan has called the British government\u2019s proposals for a so-called amnesty in Northern Ireland \u201cunacceptable\u201d and a \u201cdenial of the rule of law\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said the plans for a statute of limitations were a denial of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms O\u2019Loan was speaking at a cross-community event, where a group of Troubles victims discussed the UK government\u2019s legacy proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said the proposals came as a \u201can extraordinary and terrible shock\u201d to the people of Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey came in direct contradiction to all the promises which they have made,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe proposals which we had for dealing with the past were not adequate, but they were something, and they did include investigation and the possibility of prosecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat seems to have happened is that the government have bowed to a small but very powerful constituency, which had been lobbying for an end to all Troubles-related investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added: \u201cThe government\u2019s proposals are unacceptable. The first is that they are a denial of the rule of law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey contradict everything we have taught the world about justice and truth and criminal procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe second is that the victims\u2019 concerns are not addressed at all in the proposals, despite the assertions of government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmnesty is a denial of justice and it is wrong. The victims were also not consulted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis proposal, which will take away all legal rights from all the victims in Northern Ireland and elsewhere of the Troubles, has never been subject to normal consultation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis announced plans for a statute of limitations which would end all prosecutions for Troubles incidents up to April 1998, and would apply to military veterans as well as ex-paramilitaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposals, which British prime minister Boris Johnson has previously said would allow Northern Ireland to \u201cdraw a line under the Troubles\u201d, would also end all legacy inquests and civil actions related to the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raymond McCord, whose son was killed by loyalists, was among those to speak at the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBoris Johnson tells us it\u2019ll help us move on. I want to know, move on from what?\u201d Mr McCord said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have no answer for that. He hasn\u2019t told us what we\u2019re moving on from and what we\u2019re going to move on to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the words of a fool and the words of man who is afraid of the truth. We aren\u2019t scared of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julie Hambleton, whose sister was killed in the IRA\u2019s 1974 bomb attack in Birmingham, said: \u201cI believe we need to unravel republican, loyalist and state collusion, which we now know ran so deep during the conflict and continues to run deeper than we ever thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGrievances will only continue if victims are denied truth and justice and accountability. This wasn\u2019t a dirty war, this was a toxic conflict, war, terrorist campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThose in government are hell-bent on protecting their positions at all costs. Amnesia versus accountability. What will it be?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed in the Omagh bombing, said: \u201cBoris Johnson says this new bill will improve community relations and break down barriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell the people on this panel, we don\u2019t need to break down the barriers, we\u2019ve broken them down ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe come from different backgrounds. We don\u2019t always agree but what we do agree is that the Government needs to be held to account for what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eugene Reavey, whose brothers John Martin, Brian and Anthony were shot dead by the loyalist paramilitary Glenanne Gang in 1976, said the amnesty is \u201ca scandal\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have been fighting this case for years and years and years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s not going to be any justice, I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah McKeegan, whose police officer father was killed, said: \u201cBoris Johnson is right in stating that the current focus on criminal justice is not working, but he\u2019s most disingenuous in how he proposes to address it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe any new plans for truth and recovery process will be in any way victim-centered. How can only truths be known when the state are hiding behind public interest immunity certificates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billy McManus, whose father was killed in the loyalist attack on Sean Graham bookmakers in Belfast in 1992, said: \u201cThis amnesty is nothing but hiding the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBritish soldiers, RUC officers, UDR, innocent people on both sides and they want an amnesty. Ask yourself why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe British government has the blood of murder on their hands and they want to wash it away with an amnesty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kate Nash, whose brother William was killed on Bloody Sunday, said: \u201cI will never accept an amnesty. Not for soldiers, not for IRA, not for UVF, or whoever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou cannot put people above the law. You can\u2019t have innocent people murdered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe state should have a higher standard and I think you would hold them to a higher standard. They have got to be made accountable for what they did in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Teggart, whose father died in the Ballymurphy massacre, said: \u201cMurder should be investigated. The legal system should be used in every way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t have a government that change the laws.\u201d<\/p>\n

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