The Ulster Unionist Party's Justice Spokesperson, Doug Beattie MC MLA, has issued a sharp critique of the UK Government's Legacy Commission Bill.

Mr Beattie claims that the "protections" being marketed as safeguards for veterans are actually generic measures that will be equally available to terrorists, leading to what he describes as an "amnesty by proxy".

Following a recent meeting with the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), Mr Beattie stated that the six specific protections offered to veterans are not exclusive to former service personnel or RUC officers. These measures include the right to provide evidence from home, protection against "cold calling," and the right to seek anonymity.

Mr Beattie commented: "At a recent meeting with the Northern Ireland office, it was made clear that the six protections, offered as a fig leaf to the veterans lobby as part of the Labour Government's Legacy Commission Bill, are in fact generic protections that are as applicable to terrorists as they are to veterans and former RUC officers. The fact that the NIO aren't even hiding this, while the highly decorated and respected Minister for the Armed Forces, Al Carnes, continues to promote them as veterans' protections, is shameful and deceitful." He further warned that failing to distinguish between state forces and terrorists creates a false equivalence: "To tell veterans that they will have the right to stay at home, not be forced to go to court to give evidence, without telling them that terrorist will have the same right creates an equivalence between the terrorist and lawful state forces."

A significant point of contention for the Ulster Unionist Party is the interaction between the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval (ICIR) and the Legacy Commission. Mr Beattie argues that the current structure allows individuals to admit to crimes without facing charges, which he describes as a "grey area" and an "amnesty by proxy".

Additionally, the UUP has threatened to withhold support for the bill if the legal definition of a "victim" is not addressed. Mr Beattie expressed concern that under existing orders, perpetrators of mass murder could be legally viewed as victims.

Mr Beattie also questioned the Irish Government's role, criticising the lack of oversight in the proposed Gardaí Legacy unit and noting differences in how information is redacted. He concluded by urging the UK Government to allow amendments that would ensure the legislation is truly victim-centred.

"Everyone wants legacy to be dealt with fairly. It needs victims and survivors to be at the heart of the process with justice and reconciliation its guiding principles. Yet without honesty and transparency, the Bill is in trouble and it will not receive the support it requires. As it stands, the bill has no overt political support in Northern Ireland, a key government criticism of the last Conservative legacy bill."