Mercer declares ‘It is right we are ending the witch hunt of NI veterans’

We can be “proud” of ending the witch hunt of Northern Ireland veterans despite threats of a legal challenge, Johnny Mercer has declared.

Irish premier Leo Varadkar has warned that Ireland is willing to take action against the Government’s “entirely wrong” legacy Bill.

But Mr Mercer, the Veterans’ minister, mentioned Britain should shield those that fought “for our way of life” and finish “vexatious claims”.

The laws will finish Troubles-era court docket instances and inquests and provides a conditional amnesty to these accused of killings and different Troubles-related crimes.

It will set up the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery to take over legacy instances.

Mr Mercer advised the Daily Express: “We have made a commitment to our veterans in Northern Ireland and we are going to see it through.”

He mentioned the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will get Royal Assent in September after delays within the Lords.

Asked about its critics he mentioned: “There will of course be those who are unhappy – this is the really tough side of politics. This is all about doing the right thing and doing the responsible thing. We should be proud of it and we should see it through because we owe it to those who protect our way of life.”

Mr Mercer admitted it had been a “long, painful process” however was a second the Office for Veterans’ Affairs and our veterans “can be extremely proud of.”

He added: “No one has tackled this for 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement.”

He mentioned it “will provide a degree of protection from vexatious claims whilst allowing families to seek the truth and justice they deserve”.

In the Dail, Sinn Fein chief Mary Lou McDonald mentioned if the Bill turns into legislation it might “definitively shut the door on families’ efforts to achieve truth and justice through the courts, and it will of course give an amnesty to those responsible”.

The Taoiseach responded: “We think it’s entirely the wrong approach to give former Army servicemen, former IRA and paramilitary terrorists immunity from prosecution. We owe it to the victims to make sure that we all do everything we can to make sure that any information that can be given to the police is given to the police and that those people are prosecuted if at all possible.”

Army veteran David Jonathan Holden was convicted of manslaughter final yr over the taking pictures of Aidan McAnespie at a checkpoint in 1988.

Life Guard veteran Dennis Hutchings died in 2021 aged 80 whereas being tried in Belfast over the 1974 taking pictures of John Pat Cunningham following a six-year authorized ordeal.