{"id":26480,"date":"2022-06-07T10:14:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-07T14:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=26480"},"modified":"2022-06-07T11:17:50","modified_gmt":"2022-06-07T15:17:50","slug":"troubles-legacy-bill-clearly-in-breach-of-the-human-rights-act-says-norths-human-rights-commissioner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=26480","title":{"rendered":"Troubles Legacy Bill ‘Clearly In Breach Of The Human Rights Act’ Says North’s Human Rights Commissioner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Damage at Enniskillen (PA Archive\/PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A new Bill aimed at addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland\u2019s troubled past \u201ccannot be made compatible with human rights\u201d, a Westminster committee has heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill envisages offering immunity from prosecution to people who are deemed to have co-operated with the information retrieval body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criminal prosecutions could still take place for those that do not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seeks to establish an Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to review deaths and other incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the tweaked bill has been opposed by the majority of victims groups and political parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It passed its second reading last month with the support of Conservative MPs, but was not backed by any of the Northern Ireland MPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 3,500 people were killed during the Troubles, including more than 1,000 members of the security forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conservative MPs hope the measures will stop \u201cvexatious\u201d action against British military personnel who served in Northern Ireland..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alyson Kilpatrick, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioner, gave evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on the Bill on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said the main aim is to channel all investigations, prosecutions, civil claims, inquests and police complaints into one body

kamagra pills<\/a><\/div> , and expressed concern the investigations are being turned into reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also voiced concern at the lack of distinction between crimes a person can be granted immunity for, including murder, kidnap, rape and torture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat it also means is police will be prevented from investigating, the courts will be prevented from ruling, prosecutions will be prevented \u2026 that is a very substantial interference with the rule of law and with everything the UK has signed up to,\u201d she told MPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn its face, it clearly isn\u2019t (human rights compliant), it\u2019s clearly in breach of the Human Rights Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have gone through this Bill in real detail, piece by piece and also as a whole to see whether there is anything redeeming in it that could be made compatible or could save this Bill from being found to be incompatible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe cannot see a way in which the Bill can be made compatible when taken as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victims Commissioner Ian Jeffers, Wave Trauma Center chief executive Sandra Peake and Peter Murtagh for the South East Fermanagh Foundation are also set to give evidence to the committee in a later session.<\/p>\n

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