Church leaders welcome new legacy framework

Church leaders have welcomed the new joint framework on dealing with the legacy of the Troubles which was unveiled last week by Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and Tánaiste Simon Harris.

In a statement, the Church Leaders Group (Ireland) said it welcomed the fact that substantial proposals on how to deal with the legacy of the past have been issued.

“While no framework or legislation will by itself achieve reconciliation, it can open the path to ongoing restoration of relationships and building of trust,” said the group, which comprises the Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic primates, the moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, the president of the Methodist Church and the president of the Irish Council of Churches.

They underlined how addressing the legacy of the past remains “a complex, yet vital, responsibility for all of us on these islands”.

“We owe it to the victims and survivors to ensure that their needs are met with compassion and thoroughness,” as they had waited for decades with great dignity and patience for helpful structures to be put in place the, Church leaders said.

At Hillsborough Castle in Belfast Mr Benn and Mr Harris announced that the controversial Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery is to be reformed and renamed the Legacy Commission.

Under the new legacy framework proposals, a number of inquests which were halted by the Legacy Act are to resume.

Noting that the framework is the result of cooperation between the Governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Church leaders said that the proposals will require legislation in both jurisdictions for it to be put into effect. 

“Just as importantly, it will need the continued cooperation and good will of both Governments, and of all of us, to carry it forward,” they said.

Responding to the proposals, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long said what was announced represented a substantive change of direction and tone.

“The priority must now be ensuring those victims, survivors and their families are at the heart of the process and that any legislation delivers the truth, justice and accountability that they have long deserved,” she said.

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