UK could be challenged in European Court of Human Rights over legacy concerns bill

Michel Martin, Ireland's foreign minister, says the Irish government will wait for advice before deciding what to do. Credit: PA/Stefan Russo

Ireland is seeking legal advice ahead of a possible challenge to the Government Issues (Succession and Reconciliation) Bill in the European Court of Human Rights.

Westminster is expected to pass a controversial bill that proposes an amnesty for atrocities committed in 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland in the coming days.

«We have sought legal advice,» the Financial Times said Irish Foreign Secretary Michel Martin at a British Irish Association event in Oxford.

«I will get this legal advice in the next two weeks and then we» We will take this into account in terms of what actions we take afterwards ”, said the former prime minister.

Mr Martin said there are concerns that the bill does not comply with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to life.

were at the center of our concern,” he added.

Both the DUP and Sinn Féin oppose the bill.

The bill would stop new investigations and civil cases, and create an Independent Reconciliation and Information Recovery Commission.

It will return to the House of Lords on Tuesday and is expected to be sent to the Commons for approval shortly thereafter.

He is opposed by the DUP and Sinn Féin, as well as the government in Dublin. rights groups and all other political parties on the island of Ireland.

They argue that a conditional amnesty for accused murderers during the riots will deprive the victims of justice from the IRA or British forces.

Sir Keir Starmer said that Labor would repeal the bill, which had been amended in a failed attempt. to garner more support in Northern Ireland if it wins the next general election.

«The Heritage Bill will become law,» said Chris Heaton-Harris, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

< p>He said there was little chance of a conviction 25 years after the end of the riots and urged Dublin to cooperate with the new commission.

Improved British-Irish relations could suffer

“In our opinion, this bill will not bring any harm. Comprehensively deal with heritage,” Mr. Martin said. “I still appeal to the British government to stop this process.”

If Dublin does file a lawsuit against the legislation in the European Court of Justice, it will be only the second lawsuit against London after the 52-year-old case.

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The Strasbourg court found that 14 men were subjected to «inhuman and degrading treatment» by the UK during their interrogation after Dublin opened the case in 1971.

A legal action could undermine the improvement in British-Irish relations. following the signing of a new Brexit agreement on the Irish Sea border in February.

The Windsor Framework put an end to British threats to break the Northern Ireland Protocol, infuriating Dublin.

British-Irish relations have improved since the signing of the Windsor Framework. Photo: Reuters/Cameron Smith

The Council of Europe, which in June expressed concern about the heritage bill, put forward the European Convention on Human Rights, which is written in the Good Friday Agreement.

The Council is not an EU institution, but the old 46-country organization of which the UK remains a part after Brexit.< /p>

Some conservatives have called for the UK to withdraw from the Convention, especially after European judges blocked a flight from the UK bringing illegal migrants to Rwanda from -for human rights problems.