"The Prime Minister knows that last week nine four-star generals made plain the bill is doing harm to the British Army already. "Most acute damage is being felt by the Special Air Service. "As a result, lawyers for the SAS Regimental Association have sent a letter before action to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. "I know of no precedent for this in the entire history of the British Army, and ... it reflects how important it is."
"The Northern Ireland Office has been contacted for comment. Labour's legislation, agreed as part of a framework with the Irish Government, will put in place a reformed Legacy Commission with enhanced powers. The Conservative Party and others are concerned it will lead to more investigations of military veterans. The bill aims to repeal the existing Legacy Act, which included a conditional immunity clause, later found unlawful by the Northern Ireland courts."
The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill seeks to repeal the Legacy Act and establish a reformed Legacy Commission with enhanced powers under a framework with the Irish Government. The Legacy Act's conditional immunity clause was later found unlawful by Northern Ireland courts, prompting concerns that the new bill will lead to more investigations of military veterans. Lawyers acting for the SAS Regimental Association have sent a pre-action letter to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Senior military figures and politicians warn the measure is harming British Army morale and affecting recruitment and retention, prompting calls for prime ministerial intervention to protect elderly veterans.
#northern-ireland-troubles-bill #sas-regimental-association #legacy-commission #veteran-investigations
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