Anger At Call To End Troubles Prosecutions

The Attorney General for Northern Ireland has called for an end to all prosecutions, inquests and inquiries related to the so-called Troubles.

John Larkin QC said he believes a line should be drawn under crimes linked to terrorists before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

The proposal would prevent the prosecution of any police officers or soldiers who may have been involved in deaths during the Troubles.

Mr Larkin has denied he is proposing an amnesty, telling the Belfast Telegraph: "Amnesty can be an emotionally loaded word and it is misleading to refer to my proposal as an amnesty. It is not an amnesty, it is a stay on prosecutions."

More than 3,500 people were killed during the years which have become known as the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, paramilitaries who were convicted and jailed before the agreement were given early release from prison.

But in many cases, no one has ever been tried or convicted and the families of some victims still hold out hope for justice.

Stephen Gault, whose father Samuel was killed in the 1987 IRA Poppy Day bombing in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, for which no one has ever been convicted, said he was disgusted by the proposal.

"How dare he airbrush the innocent people who were murdered at the hands of terrorists to move things forward," he said. "I just think it's totally disgusting."

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was killed in the August 1998 Real IRA attack, which claimed the lives of 29 people but would not be covered under the Attorney General's proposals, said: "He is saying: 'If you murder enough people, the government will make a deal with you and you will eventually get off.'"

The Attorney General's suggestion comes as a former US Envoy to Northern Ireland, Richard Haass, is involved in discussions with political parties and other interested groups about how to deal with the legacy of the past in the country.

Mr Larkin said: "What I am saying is take the lawyers out of it.

"Lawyers are very good at solving practical problems in the here and now, but lawyers aren't good at historical research.

"Is it worth looking to the courts to solve historical controversies? The answer to that has to be no."

Mr Larkin also suggested that records should be made more readily available to the public.

The political parties in Northern Ireland responded to the proposals with caution.

Both the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) raised concerns that the Attorney General was proposing a kind of amnesty.

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said: "I have not had the chance to read the Attorney General's submission but this issue is much bigger than simply the issue of prosecutions.

"Whatever mechanisms are agreed in the future, they need to be victim centred.

"The views of victims must be central to any effort to deal with the legacy of the past.

"Their voices must heard and respected and all victims must be treated on the basis of equality."

Chief Constable Matt Baggott said: "We welcome the debate into how we deal with the past and will study carefully what the Attorney General has said.

"There is no doubt his views will also form part of the deliberations of Dr Richard Haass.

"It is well documented that the cost of policing the past has a massive impact on how we deal with the present and the future.

"Whilst we are committed to meeting our current legislative responsibilities, dealing with legacy issues continues to place significant pressure on our organisation and financial resources."

Prime Minister David Cameron told the House of Commons it would be "rather dangerous" to block possible future prosecutions.