Ireland Challenges UK's Troubles Legacy Law in Legal Battle
Ireland is bringing an inter-state case against the UK under the European human rights convention over the Northern Ireland Troubles (legacy and reconciliation) bill, which sets up an independent commission for reconciliation and information recovery. The law allows conditional immunity from prosecution for those who reveal details of the killings, angering both nationalists and unionists. The law lacks political and legal support, with challenges already underway in Northern Ireland courts. Critics argue that it weakens the obligation to conduct effective investigations into deaths caused by state agents. The UK government's refusal to pause the law is seen as an act of bad faith and strains the Anglo-Irish relationship. A Labour government would scrap the law, and a more just approach to dealing with legacy issues is needed.