Chris Heaton-Harris has written to Michael Martin criticizing the Irish government’s decision to challenge the British government.
The NI Secretary has written to the Irish Government formally expressing “grave regret” over the legal challenge to the Troubled Heritage Act.
The controversial law was passed in September despite opposition from all major political parties in Dublin and Northern Ireland.
Ireland will challenge the law at the European Court of Human Rights.
But Chris Heaton-Harris again challenged Dublin’s record on the Legacy case.
In a letter to Irish Foreign Secretary Michael Martin, the Northern Ireland Minister also questioned the handling of prosecutions since 1998.
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) told the PA news agency that a letter has been published formally criticizing the timing of the Irish Government’s decision at a “sensitive time” in Northern Ireland amid efforts to restore power-sharing at Stormont. I admitted that.
“In his letter, the Secretary of State reiterates his call on the Irish Government to reveal the number of criminal prosecutions brought in Ireland since 1998 in relation to Troubles-related incidents, and urges the Irish Government to review its own records. “We are calling on the broader public to answer questions about ‘addressing legacy issues in their own jurisdictions,'” the NIO said in a statement to PA.
The British ambassador to Ireland is said to have written to the Irish government on Sunday.
Martin said in a statement that he was aware of the letter and would respond to Heaton-Harris “in due course.”
The period of turmoil lasted for 30 years and was a period of conflict in which more than 3,500 people lost their lives.
Recently passed UK legislation includes limited immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offenses for those cooperating with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
The Northern Ireland Affairs (Inheritance and Settlement) Act 2023 also halts future civil proceedings and estate investigations.
Critics argued that the law granted amnesty and deprived people of access to justice.
“A delicate period”
In December, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said his government had “no choice” but to legally challenge the British government over the Heritage Act.
He said there was a “strong” legal recommendation that the English Heritage Act breached the UN Human Rights Convention.
Deputy Prime Minister Martin Martin said the British government had “unilaterally pushed ahead with the bill” despite concerns from the Irish government and others.
‘double standard’
Reacting to the letter, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Geoffrey Donaldson said he agreed with the NI Secretary about the Irish Government’s “double standards” regarding heritage.
He told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme: “While we continue to oppose what the UK Government is doing and oppose the amnesty they have set out in their Legacy proposals, the Irish Government has also adopted the same approach in practice. “I’ve seen it taken over the years,” he said. program.
“As the Secretary of State has pointed out, there have been no prosecutions by the Irish Government and no attempt to prosecute those involved in terrorist activities within its jurisdiction,” Sir Jeffrey added.
In response, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy said people “should not be distracted by the record”.
“This is a narrow issue of prosecution, and let’s not make fun of who prosecuted who. This effectively cuts off the British government’s role in the conflict,” he said on the show. He spoke at
Fergus O’Dowd, a Fine Gael member of the Dáil (Irish Parliament), claimed that the Irish government had been tough on prosecutions related to the Troubles.
He also told Good Morning Ulster that the Irish government had “no choice” but to reluctantly take legal action to challenge the bill.
Mr O’Dowd, who chairs the Oireachtas joint committee on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, said the two governments “need to work closely together” after Brexit.
“We hope that relations will improve,” he said.
“but [the Irish government] We have clearly defined goals regarding human rights, and they remain so. ”
The bill has been widely criticized by Northern Ireland’s political parties and victims’ campaigners.
Victims and survivors have already filed a lawsuit against the British government at the High Court in Belfast, challenging legislation that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson said would “draw a red line on mayhem” in 2021.
The 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland has claimed more than 3,500 lives and left thousands seriously injured.
The bill also ended all new autopsy investigations and civil litigation related to the dispute.
The Irish case is being heard under the European Convention on Human Rights.
It has been almost three weeks since Dublin decided to legally and politically resist London’s inheritance laws.
However, diplomatic relations deteriorated further after British Ambassador to Ireland Paul Johnston wrote to the Irish government.
In it, Chris Heaton-Harris once again warned Michael Martin that Northern Ireland was at a “sensitive time” as efforts to restore power-sharing at Stormont continued.
And he challenged Dublin’s record on past cases and handling of prosecutions since 1998.
The Irish government insists the only option is to take the case to court, which could take years to resolve.