This article originally appeared in The Telegraph on the 19 of
January 2026 and comes ahead of the Remedial Order which will be
debated/discussed in Parliament tomorrow.
More than 3,500 people lost their lives in the Troubles. Among
them were almost 2,000 civilians, and more than 1,100 members of
our brave security forces. Paramilitaries including the IRA and
UVF were responsible for the vast majority of the
deaths.
Today, close to a third of the killings remain unsolved, and too
many families still do not know exactly what happened to their
loved ones. They have waited decades for the truth, with trust
ebbing away, as legal processes faltered, stalled and ultimately
failed them.
The previous Government's legacy legislation was undeliverable,
it was rejected by our domestic courts and it was wrong in
principle to attempt to give immunity to terrorists.
Tomorrow I will be asking the House of Commons to endorse a
Remedial Order to remove indefensible and legally defective
provisions from the Legacy Act. This will provide confidence and
clarity for families and veterans on two issues.
First, the Legacy Act removed the right of UK citizens to pursue
Troubles-related civil cases, effectively blocking those affected
by terrorist attacks on UK soil from seeking justice for what
happened to them, their family or a loved one. This was simply
wrong.
Yesterday it was incorrectly stated in these pages that 800 civil
cases will be reactivated by the government, resulting in our
veterans being dragged into the courts. This is simply
untrue.
Almost 800 live civil cases continued unaffected by the last
Government's Legacy Act. The Act sought only to block any new
claims, but this was rejected by our courts. And in practice
Northern Ireland veterans rarely appear before the civil
courts.
Civil cases have long been a means by which people can pursue
action against the State. And they have also enabled truth and
accountability for victims of terrorist atrocities including the
Omagh bombing. Indeed, in the coming months will face trial in a civil case
brought by victims of the Old Bailey, Manchester and Docklands
bombings.
It cannot be right to remove citizens' ability to bring such
actions.
Second, the Legacy Act proposed granting immunity, including to
terrorists. This was abhorrent to the victims and survivors of
terrorist violence and was rejected across communities in
Northern Ireland. With the passage of time the prospect of
prosecutions is diminishing, but the vast majority of those since
the Good Friday Agreement have been for terrorist offences.
In the end, the immunity scheme was never commenced and then the
courts intervened. So nobody ever claimed immunity, but it has
created enormous legal uncertainty for families, and also for our
veterans because the protection supposedly offered by the Legacy
Act for them turned out to be a mirage.
Let me be clear. There never has been and never will be any moral
equivalence between our Armed Forces - who laid down their lives
for this nation - and terrorist organisations.
In taking forward the replacement legislation that is now
necessary, I am working closely with the Defence Secretary and
Armed Forces Minister.
A reformed Legacy Commission will enable families and victims of
violence to seek answers. The Commission will benefit, for the
first time, from information shared by the Irish authorities,
which could help solve murders that happened on UK soil,
including the murders of members of our Armed Forces.
In our frequent discussions with those who served, they have been
clear that they do not ask to be placed above the law. Our
veterans understand the responsibility that comes with the
uniform they have worn.
What they are asking for, and what they deserve, is a system that
is fair and based on the rule of law. We are listening to them
and will continue to do so.
And we are putting in place new and effective protections for our
Northern Ireland veterans and former security personnel. These
include an end to non-essential repeat investigations, an end to
veterans travelling to Northern Ireland to share information, and
an end to cold calling or the unexpected knock at the door.
Since it was signed in 1998, the Good Friday Agreement has been a
beacon of hope. But the issue of legacy remains unresolved. It is
right that we debate the way forward but it must be on the basis
of the facts.
There is now a legal necessity to legislate, and we must ensure
we put in place a system that is fair, proportionate and
deliverable for veterans.
