Opposition gears up over on-the-run law
The government is gearing up for a battle over controversial legislation to allow on-the-run terrorist suspects back to Northern Ireland, to be published today.
The new bill would put in place a judicial process whereby fugitives convicted before the Good Friday agreement in 1998 could return home without serving a day in prison.
It has been described as “disgraceful” by the Democratic Unionist party (DUP), which is planning to lobby parliament over the issue, while the Conservatives are deeply opposed to the move.
Under the proposed system, an individual could be tried and sentenced in their absence before being allowed to come back to Northern Ireland under licence.
Arlene Foster, the DUP’s spokesperson for victims of terrorism, said the legislation would be “deeply offensive” to the people of Northern Ireland.
“These trained killers are effectively being rewarded for carrying out some of the most cold-blooded atrocities in the history of the province,” she added.
But Sinn Fein argues that it makes little sense to continue pursuing people for crimes committed before the Good Friday Agreement, because had these individuals been arrested and imprisoned, they would have released by now.
Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain has previously insisted that the proposals would not amount to an amnesty, as anyone applying for their case to be reviewed would only be allowed to return to the province under licence, and they would have criminal record.
As such, anyone breaching the terms of the licence would go to prison, as was the case with loyalist paramilitary leader Johnny “Mad Dog” Adair.
However, Conservative Northern Ireland secretary David Lidington said the proposals were an “amnesty for terrorists in all but name”.
“At the same time as the government proposes detaining terrorist suspects for 90 days without charge, it will allow convicted terrorists, and those wanted in connection with the most heinous terrorist atrocities, to return to Northern Ireland without ever having to appear before a court and account for themselves in the normal way,” he said.
“The government claims that its plans include a judicial process. In reality what is proposed is a judicial farce.
“Once again the government has simply caved in to Sinn Fein’s demands by making a unilateral concession on an issue that formed no part of the Belfast [Good Friday] agreement.”
