In an announcement on Monday, the Northern Ireland Office said the UK Government’s top law officer, currently Labour minister Ellie Reeves, would have the final say over whether prosecutions over cases involving death or serious injury will take place.
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prosecutions → say → place
This will bypass the devolution settlement.
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This → bypass → settlement
It means Stormont’s own Attorney General, Dame Brenda King, will have no role in any decision.
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General → mean → decision
Northern Ireland has appointed its own attorney general since 2010.
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Ireland → appoint → 2010
Cases will still be assessed by Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS).
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Cases → assess → Service
Prosecutors will consider whether available evidence meets the threshold for them to go ahead.
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them → consider → threshold
If so, the case will then be referred to the UK’s Attorney General for a final decision.
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case → refer → decision
The changes will come among a series of amendments to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which has been debated in the House of Commons since last year.
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which → come → year
Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant said the Government had engaged extensively with veterans’ groups and it would provide “robust” protections for veterans.
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it → say → veterans
Concerns have previously been raised veterans face being “dragged” through the courts.
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veterans → raise → courts
The Northern Ireland Office said it would reduce the chances of “rinse and repeat” duplicate investigations.
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it → say → investigations
In the announcement, the Government said: “Under the updated Bill, the Attorney General must provide consent for any serious Troubles-related prosecution.
“
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General → say → prosecution
For the few veterans who may give evidence, the legislation guarantees they will be treated with fairness, dignity and respect.
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they → give → fairness
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“This is on top of existing protections already baked into the Troubles Bill that will limit elderly veterans’ exposure to legacy processes, and ensure that, in circumstances where they are asked to provide information, they are treated with the care and respect they deserve.”
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they → read → care
Sir Chris said: “This Bill is about completing the unfinished business of the Good Friday Agreement, getting answers for the many families, including veterans’ families, who lost a loved one.
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who → say → one
“I am confident that this legislation will be a significant step towards a more reconciled society.
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legislation → reconcile → society
“We want to get the Bill right.
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Bill → want → ?
So today we have introduced a significant package of amendments, establishing robust, permanent safeguards that ensure former armed forces personnel and police officers are treated with the fairness, dignity and respect they deserve.
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they → introduce → fairness
“These amendments have been developed through extensive engagement with veterans’ groups, whilst ensuring that this Bill will also enable victims and bereaved families, including the families of soldiers, who have waited long years for answers, to seek information and, potentially, closure on what happened to their loved ones.”
The amendments come after a lengthy back and forth over the Bill at Westminster.
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amendments → develop → Westminster
On Tuesday, MPs will debate whether to “carry over” the Bill, which was first introduced to Parliament in October 2025.
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which → debate → October
It will overhaul the previous Conservative government’s Legacy Act, which aimed to draw a line under the conflict and legal cases which have followed.
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which → overhaul → conflict
The Act established an investigative body aimed at uncovering information and giving closure to the families of those killed in the Troubles.
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Act → establish → Troubles
However it was widely panned by different communities in Northern Ireland for offering conditional immunity from prosecution to those who shared information about crimes they were involved in.
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they → pan → crimes
More than 300,000 members of the armed forces served in Northern Ireland over 30 years.
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members → serve → years
Thousands of members of the public were killed during the Troubles, largely from paramilitary violence.
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Thousands → kill → violence
Nearly 1,800 members of the security services were killed.
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members → kill → services
The Northern Ireland Office said amendments would be put forward to give reassurances to veterans, amid concerns they could be put through the courts over historical operations.
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they → say → operations
Former defence minister and army veteran Al Carns criticised the Bill when he resigned in June.
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he → criticise → June
He said it could lead to “70 to 80-year-old veterans being dragged to court”.
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veterans → say → court
Other changes are that “compelling new evidence” would be required before any witness is pursued.
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witness → require → ?
The Legacy Commission will also have to seek the advice of prosecutors during an investigation to ensure cases are not referred when a successful prosecution is unlikely.
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prosecution → have → investigation
Meanwhile, the Bill will spell out that officials should not draw any equivalence between actions of paramilitaries, including the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Ulster Defence Force (UDA), and the lawful actions of the British Army.
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officials → spell → Army
They should also take into account the “unique operational environment” armed forces were operating within, to bear in mind “split-second decisions under fire”.
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forces → take → fire
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