Sir Chris Bryant has tabled a package of amendments to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill intended to strengthen legal safeguards for Armed Forces veterans and former police officers.
The changes would require the Attorney General's consent before a serious Troubles-related prosecution could proceed. The Attorney General would make that decision in a quasi-judicial capacity.
The legislation would also require the legacy commission to consider whether new or compelling evidence exists before compelling a witness to participate.
A statutory distinction would recognise that there is no equivalence between lawful service and terrorism, while requiring the operational circumstances faced by serving personnel to be considered.
Existing protections in the Bill include remote participation, protection from cold calling, a right to seek anonymity and assessments of whether elderly witnesses should be required to give evidence.
The government says the amended framework will still allow victims and bereaved families, including military families, to seek information about what happened to their relatives.
The amendments follow engagement with veterans' organisations and earlier demands for clearer safeguards. They turn that consultation into specific legislative tests that Parliament can now examine.
News | Featured | Photo: Pat McFadden
