This action honours the Labour Party’s election pledge to repeal and replace the Legacy Act, which the government claims “denies justice to the families and victims of the Troubles.”

The repeal will specifically target the “conditional immunity scheme,” previously ruled by the Northern Ireland High Court as incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Additionally, it will lift the ban on victims and families pursuing civil claims.

The Legacy Act has faced widespread opposition, including from victims’ families, human rights organizations, and both British unionist and Irish nationalist political parties, resulting in over 20 legal challenges in Northern Ireland.

The former Conservative government defended the law, arguing that prosecutions for events from up to 55 years ago were increasingly unlikely, and the bill could help conclude the conflict. The Democratic Unionist Party, the largest pro-British party in the region, praised the repeal of what it called “unconscionable” and “morally repugnant” legislation. Amnesty International also commended the move as a critical step towards overturning “an atrocious attack on rights.”