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Belfast Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
NI Veterans Commissioner ‘not surprised' by reported Army anger over plans that could see Troubles veterans in court
David Johnstone was speaking after signing a petition calling for a debate in Parliament urging the Government not to allow Army veterans of the Troubles to be prosecuted under the Legacy Act, which is facing changes. Although Labour said it will axe parts of the Act — such as a controversial immunity provision for those involved in Troubles crimes — it intends to restore legacy inquests and civil cases. The petition has also been supported by MPs from all three Northern Ireland unionist parties at Westminster. On Tuesday it emerged that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched an investigation over an unauthorised social media post from the Army's largest infantry regiment condemning the Government's actions. 'The Government is tone deaf to just how much this issue is exercising veterans' The Rifles regiment's X account posted a link to the petition set up by retired brigadier Ian Robert Liles, calling on the Government not to make any legislative changes that would allow Troubles veterans to be prosecuted. Accompanying the post was the comment: 'The Government is looking to repeal elements of the NI Troubles Act. This will mean that veterans can be reinvestigated despite having previously been cleared of any wrongdoings. 'So that a parliamentary debate can be held to correct this, we encourage you to click on the link and sign your name.' The post has since been deleted and the MoD said it is investigating. A similar post from the Fusiliers Regimental HQ account also shared the link, accompanied by the comment: 'Army veterans recently launched a petition, objecting to Labour's 'Two Tier Justice' of pursuing Army Veterans. 'They need 100k signatures to get the subject debated. Can you help? Please sign and share!' Andrew Fox, a retired Parachute Regiment Major, told the Daily Mail the authorised social media posts from the Rifles and Fusiliers hinted at a 'mutiny' building within the Army. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner said it was not for him to comment on the posts in question, as he is focused on veterans issues, adding that what regular Army units do is outside his job description. Mr Johnstone added: 'All I will say is that the stories that have been appearing, I don't find surprising, because I think the Government is tone deaf to just how much this issue is exercising veterans. And clearly, by definition, also those that are currently serving, who maybe have relatives that are veterans, or who can put themselves in a similar situation as those that are currently being hauled before the courts. 'I know for a fact that many regular soldiers are asking themselves: 'If I make that split-second decision in the line of duty on an operation that I've been ordered to go on, am I, 30, 40, 50 years later, going to find myself in a court case being prosecuted? Because of a split-second decision that I made in a very complex engagement with enemy forces?' 'I think this highlights just the seriousness of the trajectory of opening up inquests and trying to relook at various things that happened during the Troubles through the lens of European Court of Human Rights legislation, and the lens of modern-day civilian law versus the law that soldiers operate under in Northern Ireland.' Regarding the petition, Mr Johnstone said it's an 'important exercise of democracy' that those 'who are exercised by this issue have an opportunity to publicly register their concern around what is a very, very important issue for veterans'.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Army regiment condemns Starmer's move to scrap veterans' Troubles protections
The Ministry of Defence is investigating after the army's largest infantry regiment appeared to condemn the Government over plans to scrap Troubles protections for veterans. An unauthorised tweet from the official account of The Rifles urged members to sign a petition for a debate in parliament to 'correct' plans to repeal parts of the Legacy Act. Critics say ministers' plans to change the law will allow veterans to be re-investigated after being previously cleared of wrongdoing A petition was launched last week by Ian Robert Liles, a retired brigadier, calling on the government not to make any changes to legislation that would allow veterans to be prosecuted. Mr Liles said the petition is aimed at 'stopping the Government from allowing persecution of our Northern Ireland veterans' who served under Operation Banner, the codename for British Armed Forces operations in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007. It was shared by the Rifles Regiment's X account on Tuesday. The petition has so far gathered 38,000 signatures meaning the Government will have to respond and if it reaches 100,000 signatures will be considered for debate in Parliament. It has been signed by many former soldiers as well as David Johnstone, the Northern Ireland veterans commissioner. The post, featuring the regiment's logo, said: 'The government is looking to repeal elements of the NI Troubles Act. This will mean that veterans can be re-investigated despite having previously been cleared of any wrong doings. 'So that a Parliamentary debate can be held to correct this we encourage you to click on the link and sign your name'. The tweet was later deleted. Conditional immunity The Legacy Act halted dozens of civil cases and inquests linked to the conflict and also offered conditional immunity for perpetrators of crimes during the Troubles in exchange for their co-operation with a new investigatory body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). The Act followed a number of British Army veteran prosecutions in recent years in connection with fatal incidents during the 30-year conflict between republican and loyalist paramilitaries. It was pushed into law by the Conservatives despite opposition from all the major Northern Irish parties, including the DUP and Sinn Fein, and the Republic of Ireland. Critics were opposed to the concept of offering perpetrators of crimes conditional immunity and a Northern Irish High Court ruled the legislation was incompatible with human rights laws. Labour has now started the process of repealing the Act after promising to do so before the general election in July. The Government is retaining certain elements of the Act, including the ICRIR, but will axe the contentious immunity provision and see the restoration of legacy inquests and civil cases. Last month a thousand veterans descended on Parliament on Good Friday to protest against the changes. The bike-riding veterans, many dressed with medals and berets from their service in Northern Ireland, closed much of Westminster in an organised go-slow demonstration. The Rifles is the British Army's largest infantry regiment and is at the forefront of overseas operations and describes itself as one of the finest fighting units. It is made up of more than 4,300 riflemen and seven battalions across 26 locations. An MoD spokesman said: 'We are investigating a tweet which was published in error and without correct authorisation.'
