The British Ambassador to Ireland said the Legacy Bill is not an amnesty. When talking on the Joe Finnegan Show earlier, Paul Johnston also said the bill was now passed into law, indicating his government are unlikely to withdraw the controversial legislation. Mr Johnston said the main aims of the Legacy Bill were "information recovery and reconciliation".
And, he denied the bill would officially grant amnesty to perpetrators of violence and murder during the Troubles, including members of the British and Northern Irish security forces. Those who choose to appear before the Commission of Inquiry to help families find out what happened to their loved ones killed in the Troubles would be subject to "heavy conditions", he said.
"So we recognised that this is controversial; " the Ambassador told Northern Sound, "our ministers have said there are no ideal options but the government firmly believes that this is the best way forward in the circumstances acknowledging the reality of how difficult it has been to secure convictions and the fact that it is a focus now to look at seeking information recovery and promoting reconciliation."
