Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill does not refer to investigations in addition to reviews.
Investigations are a crucial part of the work of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). The ICRIR will, in statute, have the necessary powers to secure information and conduct thorough and robust investigations, including the power to compel witnesses and test forensic evidence.
The legislation also places an obligation on authorities with information potentially relevant to an incident to provide full disclosure to the ICRIR.
The ICRIR will have a Commissioner for Investigations, and the scope of the ICRIR’s investigative process will be an operational matter for the ICRIR, and will depend on the specific circumstances of each case, including whether there is an outstanding ECHR obligation and the wishes of the family or individual.