Petition on repealing and replacing the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act

In July 2024, the government said it would repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (the Legacy Act). The act was intended to end legal proceedings related to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, including providing immunity from prosecution to those who cooperated with an investigative body set up by the act.

It has said that the “approach to legacy taken by the last Government was wrong. It caused immense pain to victims and survivors, and in many respects has been found to be unlawful”. The government has also committed to fix the “flawed and failed legislation […] in a way that honours our duty towards [..] veterans”.

A Parliament and government petition calling on the government to protect veterans from prosecution and not make changes to the legislation has received over 165,000 signatures and will be the subject of a debate in Westminster Hall on 14 July 2025.

Operation Banner

Operation Banner in Northern Ireland (August 1969 to July 2007) was the longest continuous deployment of Armed Forces personnel in British military history, during which over 250,000 military personnel served. During this time, it is estimated that 1,441 military personnel died during operations, 722 as a result of paramilitary attacks, and that the military was responsible for the deaths of 301 individuals, over half of whom were civilians.

Over the last 20 years, bodies have been established to investigate the deaths and serious injuries that occurred during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

However, there have been concerns about these processes from all sides relating to doubts over the credibility and reliability of evidence and witness statements that may be over 40 years old and the re-opening of investigations that had already concluded.

Some have said that investigations disproportionately focused on the actions of the UK armed forces and former police officers, rather than Republican and Loyalist paramilitary forces. This perception has been challenged by the Northern Ireland Police Service and investigation teams.

What is the Legacy Act?

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act (the Legacy Act) was introduced by the former Conservative government and came into force in 2023. It aimed to draw a line under the past in Northern Ireland, moving away from criminal justice and litigation approach to reconciliation and information recovery.

It introduced a conditional immunity scheme, which prohibited criminal investigations into Troubles-related offences. It also ended all Troubles-related civil claims and inquests, and it established the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (‘ICRIR’) to review deaths and serious injuries which took place during the Troubles, with the capacity to refer cases to the prosecution service.

There has been criticism of the measures in the Act from Northern Irish politicians and victims’ and human rights groups.

The High Court and Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland have found that parts of the act are not compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Decision to repeal and replace the Legacy Act

The government has said that the “approach to legacy taken by the last Government was wrong. It caused immense pain to victims and survivors, and in many respects has been found to be unlawful”. The government has also committed to fix the “flawed and failed legislation […] in a way that honours our duty towards […] veterans”.

This decision to repeal the act has been welcomed by politicians and victims’ groups in Northern Ireland, but there has been concerns expressed by MPs and veterans who served during Operation Banner have protested the decision.

Further information

This briefing focuses on the recent decision to repeal and replace the Legacy Act, the petition calling for the government to reverse this decision and wider responses.

More detailed information on the background to the act is provided in the following Library briefings:

• Investigation of former Armed Forces personnel who served in Northern Ireland, 2022
• Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill 2022-2023, 2023