Northern Ireland judge rules that amnesty law for ‘the Troubles’ breaches human rights

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A judge has ruled that a new law that gives immunity from prosecution for most offenses committed during Northern Ireland’s decades of sectarian violence is not compliant with human rights. The British government’s Legacy and Reconciliation Bill stops most prosecutions for alleged killings by militant groups and British soldiers during “the Troubles.” That refers to the period in Northern Ireland from the 1960s to the ’90s in which thousands of people died. The judge says the law will not contribute to peace in Northern Ireland. Britain’s government says it remained “committed” to implementing the legacy bill.