Soldiers not seeking immunity over Troubles cases, says veterans commissioner
Northern Ireland's veterans commissioner, David Johnstone, stated that former soldiers are not seeking immunity from Troubles-related prosecutions but are calling for a fair and balanced process that considers historical context. This comes after a coroner ruled that the Army 'lost control' and used unreasonable force in the 1972 Springhill shootings, which killed five people in west Belfast. The UK government is revising the controversial Legacy Act, which previously offered conditional amnesty, amid opposition from victims' families and political parties.
- ▪The 1972 Springhill shootings in west Belfast resulted in the deaths of five people, including two teenagers and a priest.
- ▪Coroner Mr Justice Scoffield found the Army's use of force in all five shootings was 'not reasonable' and that soldiers 'overreacted to a perceived threat'.
- ▪The current Labour government is repealing the 2023 Legacy Act, which offered conditional immunity, and developing a new legacy bill without amnesty provisions.
- ▪Veterans commissioner David Johnstone emphasized that veterans want to avoid vexatious prosecutions but are not seeking immunity.
- ▪Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey said victims' families would never accept amnesty for soldiers and welcomed the inquest's findings as validation of their long-held claims.
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Soldiers not seeking immunity over Troubles cases, says veterans commissionerJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAuryn CoxBBC News NIBBCDavid Johnstone said veterans want a fair and a balanced processFormer soldiers are not calling for immunity from Troubles-related prosecutions but want "fairness and balance", Northern Ireland's veterans commissioner has said.David Johnstone said veterans wanted a process that understands context and said a coroner's inquest was not the best route to examine legacy cases.He was speaking after an inquest into the shooting of five people in west Belfast in 1972 found that the Army "lost control" in a number of cases and "overreacted to a perceived threat".West Belfast MP Paul Maskey has called for a legacy act that does not offer amnesty to British…
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