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FAMILIES OF VICTIMS of the Northern Ireland Troubles have said the passing of the controversial Legacy Bill through the UK’s House of Commons yesterday was “disturbing” and “upsetting”.
MPs yesterday rejected a Lords’ amendment to the Bill, which is now on the verge of becoming law.
It includes a form of limited immunity for some perpetrators of crimes committed during the Northern Ireland Troubles and would also prevent future civil cases and inquests into legacy offences.
The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is opposed by victims’ groups and all political parties in the North.
John Toland was 36 years old when he was shot dead by loyalist terrorists in the Happy Landing bar in Eglinton, Co Derry in November 1976. He had seven children.
Speaking to The Journal today, John Toland’s son Danny Toland said of yesterday: “We kind of knew it was coming, but as I said to my mum last night, it was very shameful and disturbing to think that the British government are washing their hands of, no matter who murdered who … that they’ve just decided they’d wash their hands of any more investigations”.
Toland said he is “on a mental rollercoaster going up and down thinking maybe some day someone might have a conscience and admit to my father’s murder or murders of some other people”.
“But if they do admit it, they’re never going to face punishment or go to jail, that’s the way it’s going to be left now,” he said.
Toland explained that his family had an investigation pending with the Police Ombudsman’s Office, but added that they received a letter about a month ago “to say that investigation was ceased because of the legacy law that was coming into force”.
Moving forward, he said the family would have to go through the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). However, he said: “We will never get involved in that at all.”
Billy McGreanery was aged 41 when he was killed by a British soldier from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards on 15 September 1971. He was unarmed when he was shot.
The Derry Journal reported last September that a file has been sent to the Public Prosecution Service to consider whether or not charges should be brought for the killing of Mr McGreanery.
Speaking to The Journal today, Mr McGreanery’s niece Marjorie Roddy said she was “really upset” over yesterday’s developments regarding the Troubles Legacy Bill.
“It really got to me yesterday because you kind of think of all the time and all the work you’ve done, you get apologies, you get this, you get that, and they can just pull a rug from under you,” Roddy said.
“They just did what they wanted to do and they didn’t take into any consideration the feelings or the actual justice of letting people go to court.
“They just cover their tracks at all times. They’ve put delays in our way, this has been going on for years and years,” Roddy added.
She said her family “will not stop” seeking justice for her uncle “because we have gone so far”.
“We will not stop. It’s very difficult when you’re stopped at every turn, you’re held up at every turn,” she said.
“An innocent person’s life was taken, there’s a value on somebody’s life, if you take a life you stand up and you go to court and if you think you’re innocent you defend yourself.”
Speaking yesterday, Michael O’Hare, brother of Majella O’Hare, who was shot dead by a British soldier in Co Armagh when she was 12 in 1976, said: “The UK Government has abandoned victims in favour of protecting those who took the lives of our loved ones.
“There are no words to express how deep that betrayal cuts.
“It is not right for the Government to decide who gets justice for serious crimes such as murder and who doesn’t.
“I will continue to fight – the lives of our loved ones mattered. This isn’t over.”
The Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Brendan Smith has called for a debate in the Dáil on the passage of the UK legacy bill and asked for Micheál Martin to bring forward a motion expressing the Dáil’s opposition to the bill.
The Cavan-Monaghan TD said:
“This flawed legislation will deny justice to families bereaved during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. These families, who have campaigned over the years with great grace and dignity for the truth to be established, continue to endure the pain of loss and to express their desire for accountability, and justice and truth.”
“It is essential that avenues remain open for this.”
“I strongly feel that Dáil Éireann should formally record its opposition to this atrocity amnesty.”
“No-one, whether in the IRA, the INLA, the UVF, the UFF, the RUC or the British Army should escape justice for committing heinous crimes. It is very important that Dáil Éireann sends that message,” he said.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar yesterday said the Irish Government is “seriously considering taking a case to the European Court on Human Rights” over the Troubles Legacy Bill.
He told reporters in Wicklow that this is “not unprecedented and we wouldn’t do it lightly”.
Varadkar said the “Attorney General is preparing some legal advice on what the strength would be of us taking a case to the European Court on Human Rights”.
He added that this case would “essentially say that this act is not compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights, of which the United Kingdom is a signatory”.
A decision on whether or not the government can pursue a case will be made in the coming weeks.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin is currently in Israel, but speaking to reporters yesterday there, he said “legal advice has been underway for quite some time”.
Martin added that the Irish Government has asked the British government to “pause the legislation”.
“We still ask them to pause the legislation because we do not believe a unilateral decision like this, which the Irish government and which all the other parties in Northern Ireland do not agree with, is a wise move.”
In a statement today, People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll said communities must rally in opposition to the Bill.
“The British Government wants to cover up its despicable deeds here in Ireland and all of those bereaved and maimed during the Troubles will be expected to suffer in silence,” Carroll said.
“Truth and justice are rights that have never truly been afforded to victims here. The Tories now intend to rob them of their legal route to closure,” he said.
“Campaigners have vowed not to give up in their pursuit of justice and will not stop opposing this rotten legislation. Everyone must stand behind them and rally behind all opposition to the Government’s Bill of shame.”
With reporting by Diarmuid Pepper, Christina Finn, Stephen McDermott and Press Association
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Irish Language Act promised since 2006 by the British Government. The DUP won’t budge on it, and the UK government need to act unilaterally. DUP – British when it suits them, “Ulstermen” when it doesn’t.
How can Wales and Scotland get language legislation, but the north can’t? If the DUP want to represent “British values”, then they should take heed from Britain where language legislation for indigenous languages like Welsh and Gaidhlig exists.
@Seán Ó Briain: most people I know, South and North don’t really care much for this kind of thing. Just political chess playing and grand standing
@Nigel o’Neill: ok, thanks. Maybe you should meet new people.
@John kane: and you live where John?
@Nigel o’Neill:Beats me anyone that is standing up for a language that has its semi conscious face in the water. Political grandstanding, no substance.
@Nigel o’Neill: That’s cool, but this isn’t about “people” you “know”. It’s about a promise by the British government to create an Irish language act as part of a power-sharing agreement and failing to deliver on it.
It’s about equality for Irish language speakers and not treating them as second class citizens when compared to Scottish Gaelic or Welsh speakers.
It’s about protecting the indigenous language of this island, irrespective of whether you personally care about it. There is a vibrant Irish language community in the north, 35 gaelscoileanna in the north, and multiple Irish language community centres.
What’s the point of Britain making agreements if they won’t uphold the promises made in order for them to be agreed?
@Seán Ó Briain: promises? Don’t matter a damm to Boris.
And we are supposed to give up our flag, national anthem etc for these lot in the event of a united Ireland?
@Munster1: If you think for one minute the the tricolour & anthem is all you will be giving up the you are in for a rude awakening my friend.
@Munster1: they’re not all of NI and in answer to the question, yes, yes we will.
@Justin Gillespie: Yes Munster 1 , you are going to have to give up Partition too, the root of all our problems for past 100 years! and that might even upset some like Justin who never suffered a day by partition because he is alright jack and couldnt give a hoot how Partition hurt others.
Justin suffers with the same narrow ailment that many unionists have – called ‘I hold what I have’. not an inch!
@Justin Gillespie: I really don’t know where you’re going with that. The overwhelming majority won’t be acceding to anything like you’re implying. After all, Northern Ireland joining Ireland will require a majority in Ireland in favour. That won’t happen if there’s any commonwealth nonsense or any kind of dual flag. It will be a United, sovereign Ireland – nothing else will pass. Sovereign nation (86% of island) > former statelet of U.K. , non – sovereign (14% of island). Never going to be a marriage of equals.
Just what do you think we’ll also have to give up?
@Justin Gillespie: lol the triclolour represents the Orange / Protestant tradition on the island. Perhaps you just hadn’t noticed that and prefer to speculate absolute codswallop
@Angela McCarthy: the root of most of our problems for the past 100 years and more so in recent years lies within Leinster House, if you hadn’t noticed
@LiamMac2018: someone speaking from an educated and sensible standpoint, thank crunchie
Someone has got to stand up to this not an inch mentality from the DUP.
The DUP despise everything Irish, language included.SF need to stand their ground on the irish language act, native languages are protected UK.
SF should realise that what the language needs is people speaking it public ie in the supermarket and on public transport. They should take the language out of the control of the academics of “ Conra” obsessed with grammar etc
@Richard Russell: Like you do every day Richard? I think you should realise this is much bigger that an SF matter, or a nationalist matter. There are now Gaelscoil’s in loyalist East Belfast. Only a language act will protect that developing situation.
Time for an election. If it is brought on by the premature ending of the Executive it will be a plague on sf and DUP. On sf for not nominating over an act that would be put in place when pandemic is over and on the DUP for allowing them have a contrived excuse to pull the plug. Would be great to see the more moderates do well in the next elections in Northern Ireland such as Alliance and SDLP.
Sinn fein rattling the cage.between now and the next ten months they are going for elections in the north.the unionist vote is in smithereens.first minister will be Michelle o Neill and it will be easily passed then.so sinn fein are just playing a waiting game here.intresting times ahead over next few years in the north
And we are supposed to give up our flag, national anthem etc for these lot in the event of a united Ireland? What a load of nonsense
@Munster1: I honestly don’t believe that the DUPs politicians are truly representative of the vast majority of people who come from loyalist/unionist tradition communities. The vast majority of those people are progressive.
@#FreePalestine: well they are the most popular unionist party
Gowon home
Ah, but this allows a “finely balanced” dig at both, since the DUP didn’t support the GFA that gave rise to devolution in the first place, and Sinn Féin haven taken their seats at Westminster that’d allow them to help pass this language legislation over there.
@Mick Tobin: No it wouldn’t. Do you not know how the English parliament works?
@Mick Tobin: “Sinn Féin haven taken their seats at Westminster that’d allow them to help pass this language legislation over there.”
That’s false. Language is a devolved matter, there wouldn’t be a vote on it in Westminster. And since the DUP will never implement it in a devolved manner, it’s up to the UK government to act and implement one.
One problem with a United Ireland is the additional cost of supplying DUP members, voters and their terrorist chums with either cushioned pavements or gloves to prevent knuckle damage as they walk about our beautiful country.
Most of the people in the north are English so why would they won’t a foreign language imposed on them? We don’t even speak Irish in the south, if the shinners won’t to speak Irish so they should every day, every meeting they attend let them! There’s trouble brewing up North for July 12 .
@Heisen berg1: wrong on many counts. None of them are English. Some are Irish, some identify as British.
@Heisen berg1: People in the north of Ireland are Irish,think you will find most English live in England not Ireland.
@Heisen berg1: The English language was imposed on the Irish. There was a time when it was illegal to speak Irish. Nobody is trying to make people learn or speak it who don’t wish too, but for those who do want to learn and speak then there should be opportunity
Ulster has been saying No since day one, to hell with them, offer them NADA Leo
@Charles Coughlan: only part of Ulster say no.
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