Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood has welcomed the removal of the immunity clause from the UK Government's Legacy Act, calling it a significant move towards restoring faith in the justice system.

The Lagan Valley representative made the comments after MPs voted in favour of removing the controversial provision. While praising the development, Ms Eastwood emphasised that additional measures are necessary to ensure the legacy framework gains full support across the community in Northern Ireland.

She stated:

"The Troubles amnesty is an affront to victims and survivors across our entire community, and therefore progress to remove it from the statute book is to be warmly welcomed." "No-one is above the law and in taking this action today, the UK Government will have made an important step to rebuild confidence in the legacy system."

Despite the legislative progress, the MP raised concerns regarding the handling of sensitive data and the adequacy of financial support for investigations. She added:

"However, there still remains a lot of hard work to do to ensure the structures truly command the trust and buy-in from everyone in Northern Ireland. Deep concerns remain about the proposed approach to sensitive information in the new Legacy Bill and we are yet to see the UK Government living up to its responsibility to properly fund all aspects of legacy investigations."

"Alliance will continue to push for progress on these vital matters to ensure the promise of truth and justice for all victims and survivors can finally be realised."