The Northern Ireland Office released the legacy consultation “Addressing the Legacy of Northern Ireland’s Past” on 11 May 2018 which closed on 5 October 2018.
A Consultation is a process whereby the public are given the opportunity to give their opinions on legislation the government is going to deliver.
This consultation was on proposed legacy mechanisms and included draft legislation that will go through Westminster. It will give the government and policy-makers the chance to listen to the views of victims, survivors and wider society and be alerted to any issues or concerns.
This consultation covered the following four of the proposed Stormont House Agreement mechanisms:
The Independent Commission on Information Retrieval |
The Historical Investigations Unit |
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The Oral History Archive |
The Implementation and Reconciliation Group |
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Click here to view our useful infographic outlining what role each of these bodies will play in delivering truth, justice, acknowledgment and reparations for victims and survivors.
There are a number of issues affecting victims and survivors which were not included in this consultation. Some of these were referenced in the opening statement by the Secretary of State as devolved matters; this means it is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly to progress and deliver these.
Examples of such issues are:
Ensuring access to advocate-counsellor assistance.