The body, which oversees the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), on Friday accused the government of failing to consult stakeholders and expressed concern about its stated intention to pull the plug on investigations. He said he would make a formal request to the United Kingdom for more information on the Northern Ireland (inheritance and reconciliation) bill – a controversial piece of legislation included in the Queen’s speech last month – and would have until August 1 to respond. The legislation faced another setback when Keir Starmer confirmed that Labor would oppose it. “We will vote against this legislation because it does not have the support of any of the political parties here in Northern Ireland,” the Labor leader said during a visit to Belfast. “It does not have the support of victim groups here in Northern Ireland, some of whom told me themselves that they were not even consulted. “And he does not have the support of the Irish government.” The intervention calls into question the fate of the legislation, which may also be opposed by revolutionary Conservative MPs. Most of the 3,500 killings during the riots are unsolved, leaving a host of “inheritance” cases that have puzzled politics and policing in Northern Ireland. Downing Street originally planned to introduce a general amnesty that was widely seen as an attempt to protect security veterans from persecution, leaving the families of the victims without any hope of truth or justice. Following an outcry, the government amended legislation to make immunity conditional on working with a new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, calling it the best way to respond to victims and their families, while reassuring veterans of the security forces. According to the plan, existing investigations and civil rights cases could be resumed normally, if they had substantive hearings, while less advanced and future problem-related cases would be refocused on the reconciliation and information retrieval process. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST In a note released Friday, the Council of Europe said any legislation must comply with the European Convention on Human Rights and allow for effective investigations into all pending cases. “Regrets” the lack of formal public consultation on the bill and expressed “concern” about the plan to close some pending investigations. It requested further information to determine whether the legislation would be compatible with the UK’s obligations under the European Convention. The Council of Europe has reiterated its concern about “weaknesses” in the UK investigations into security killings in Northern Ireland in the 1980s and 1990s. of the ECtHR requiring effective investigations into murders during the riots.
