Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill — Clause 3 — Progress Report on Protecting Veterans Fom Repeated Investigation for Northern Ireland Troubles Incidents. — 9 Jul 2019 at 18:45

The majority of MPs voted to require a report on progress made towards protecting veterans of the Armed Forces and other security personnel from repeated investigation for Northern Ireland Troubles related incidents.

MPs were considering the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill^[1].

The amendment supported by a majority of MPs in this vote was:

• Amendment 6, in clause 3, page 2, line 15, at end insert—
• “(1A) The report under subsection (1) must include a report on progress made towards protecting veterans of the Armed Forces and other security personnel from repeated investigation for Troubles-related incidents by introducing a presumption of non-prosecution, in the absence of compelling new evidence, whether in the form of a Qualified Statute of Limitations or by some other legal mechanism.”

The accepted amendment was accompanied by the following explanation from the MP who proposed it:

• The subsection would include placing a duty on the Secretary of State to report on the options available to ensure that veterans of the Troubles would be able to assist in a truth recovery process, for the benefit of bereaved families, without fear of prosecution.

Clause 3 of the Bill began:

• (1) The Secretary of State must, on or before 21 October 2019, publish a report explaining what progress has been made towards the formation of an Executive in Northern Ireland (unless an Executive has already been formed).
• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill (now the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act), Parliament.uk
• [2] Clause 3 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill (which later became the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation Etc)) Bill as at the time of the vote, Parliament.uk

Debate in Parliament |