Northern Ireland: UK government succeeds in uniting opposing groups over post-Troubles legacy
The government in Westminster has managed to unite unionists and nationalists in their opposition to its proposed statute of limitations on prosecutions.
Wednesday 14 July 2021 19:32, UK
Unionists, nationalists, the Irish government and victims of the Northern Ireland troubles - it is unusual to find them all on the same page.
The UK government has succeeded in uniting them, albeit for different reasons, in opposition to its proposed statute of limitations on prosecutions.
Unionists can't believe former British soldiers would want a de facto amnesty that also applies to the very terrorists who murdered some of their comrades.
Republicans say the all-encompassing move is entirely driven by a determination to put former British soldiers "beyond the law".
But it is the government's claim that the controversial measure is designed to aid reconciliation in Northern Ireland that appears to have caused most offence.
In an unusual intervention, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church, the largest protestant denomination, has highlighted the link between reconciliation and justice.
Dr David Bruce said: "The Christian understanding of reconciliation rests upon the coming together of both love and justice."
"Reconciliation is about the work we do now to restore relationships broken by the past, in a way that can lead to a better and shared future for us all," he added.
DUP leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP, told the Commons: "I cannot believe the path to reconciliation is made easier when we sacrifice justice."
Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill, the deputy first minister, said the "unilateral action" had demonstrated a "complete disregard" for victims and for the peace process.
All five of the main political parties in Northern Ireland and the Irish government had previously agreed a plan to offer victims a choice between historical investigation and information recovery.
Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said: "There will be a strong onus on the UK government in the engagement process to explain how their proposals could fully comply with their ECHR and other legal and international human rights obligations."
Relatives of those killed when British troops opened fire at Ballymurphy in west Belfast in 1972 have already vowed to challenge the "denial of human rights" in the courts.
With 3,000 of the 3,500 troubles murder cases unresolved, the legacy of how to deal with the past has haunted the peace process for 23 years.
But it won't be resolved by the government demanding too high a price from those who have already paid most - relatives of the victims of violence.