MP says Government must now act
In Northern Ireland Questions in the House of Commons yesterday, John Baron MP asked a question regarding the legal cases against veterans who served during the Troubles.
In the Chamber, John asked,
“May I remind the Secretary of State that veterans were upholding law and order in the Province and it was the terrorists who were trying to kill people? We should bear that in mind when looking at this issue as a whole.”
The Secretary of State, Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, responded that the peace would not have been possible without the efforts of the Armed Forces and Police.
John said afterwards,
“Along with Mark Francois MP and others, I have been raising the issue of Northern Ireland veterans with the Government for some time. Decades after events, some veterans have found themselves being repeatedly questioned, and even put on trial – whereas the terms of Good Friday Agreement released convicted terrorists from prison.”
“An even-handed approach is required. It is now time to draw a line if we are to move forward – the future is more important than the past.”
“It is high time the Government brought this matter to a conclusion. I support the concept of a ‘statute of limitations’ for members of the Armed Forces generally after which it will not be possible to conduct such ‘lawfare’ against veterans. These cases invariably come to light decades after events in question, when key witnesses are dead and evidence difficult to gather. This can not be right.”
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