A solicitor representing dozens of people impacted by the Troubles has described British government plans to amends parts of the legacy act as “positive”.
Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, was responding after Secretary of State Hilary Benn confirmed plans to scrap controversial elements of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act.
The controversial law, which came into force in May, halted Troubles-linked civil cases, inquests and introduced limited immunity.
In a statement on Wednesday Mr Benn said he intends to introduce a remedial order, which amends exiting legislation, to remove all provision relating to immunity and that future civil proceedings will be allowed to proceed.
The Labour MP also said he intends to introduce primary legislation to restore inquests beginning with those halted by the legacy act.
Mr Winters said that when the Llegacy act came into force he had the “uncomfortable task of informing many families how their cases were now badly affected, or worse still in some cases, completely finished”.
But he said Mr Benn’s announcement about the remedial order “is really positive news”.
“This morning and over the coming days we have the welcome task of contacting over 100 clients to let them know their cases will continue,” he said.
“As a matter of urgency, we will engage with the Crown Solicitor’s Office on currently pended civil actions and seek to have the current stay on actions lifted, allowing cases to proceed as quickly as possible.”
Mr Winters added that the “largely positive outworkings of Hilary Benn’s statement on civil cases and inquests is undermined with the retention of a State veto on matters of “national security”.
