UK Government to Repeal Controversial Northern Ireland Amnesty Scheme

Britain's new government announced plans to scrap the amnesty scheme for ex-soldiers and militants involved in Northern Ireland's Troubles. The move is part of a commitment to replace the Legacy Act, which has faced opposition from major political parties, human rights organizations, and the Irish government.

Britain's new government declared on Wednesday that it will abolish a contentious amnesty scheme for ex-soldiers and militants involved in the Northern Ireland conflict. This decision aligns with the Labour Party's election manifesto promise to repeal and replace the Legacy Act. Critics have argued that this act denies justice to families and victims of the Troubles.

The repeal includes scrapping the "conditional immunity scheme," which the Northern Ireland High Court found incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The policy change will now allow victims and families to pursue civil claims. This act has faced substantial opposition from victims' families, human rights organizations, and both British unionist and Irish nationalist political parties, leading to over 20 legal challenges.

The previous Conservative government defended the law, suggesting that prosecutions for decades-old events were unlikely and that the bill could help bring closure to the conflict. The region's largest pro-British party, the Democratic Unionist Party, welcomed the repeal, describing the legislation as "unconscionable" and "morally repugnant." Amnesty International called the repeal a significant step towards restoring human rights.

The announcement precedes a meeting between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris at Chequers. Harris has advocated for a "great reset" in UK-Ireland relations and his government had been challenging the Legacy Act at the European Court of Human Rights. The 1998 peace deal largely ended the three decades of conflict known as the Troubles, which saw around 3,600 fatalities. (Writing by Conor Humphries, Editing by Michael Holden and Kylie MacLellan)

(With inputs from agencies.)