Assembly to convene today with amnesty plans on the agenda

The North’s Assembly will meet today to discuss the plan from the British Government for a de-facto amnesty on crimes committed during the Troubles.

More than 30 representatives have signed a petition for Stormont to be recalled from its summer recess.

Though the plan had been mooted earlier this year, last week’s formal presentation to parliament sparked fresh outrage at what is widely seen as a de facto amnesty

It’s thought to arise from pressure on Boris Johnson from Tory backbenchers to deal with British army veterans facing prosecution, but the official reason is the passage of time would make convictions unlikely.

MLAs are expected today to debate a motion calling for victims and survivors to have a “full, material and central role and input into the content and design of structures to address the legacy of the past”.

All five main parties oppose the move along with victims groups.

Foreign Affairs minister Simon Coveney warned the UK government that to adopt such an approach would be “politically and legally unsustainable and would undoubtedly be tested in the courts.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said a process had to be agreed which would allow victims to pursue justice.

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