British army veterans call to keep immunity clause in Northern Ireland legacy law

British military veteran groups are protesting the UK government's move to remove immunity provisions from Northern Ireland legacy legislation. The government is seeking to reverse a Tory-era law granting conditional immunity to those accused of wrongdoing during the Troubles, following court challenges citing incompatibility with human rights laws. While the Labour government claims the change protects veterans from vexatious prosecutions and fulfills legal obligations, Conservative leaders and former SAS commanders argue it exposes soldiers to harassment and unfair prosecution. The original Legacy Act scrapped civil actions related to the Troubles, but the proposed changes would allow judges to revive these actions and lift the bar on new civil claims. The government states separate legislation will incorporate protections for former soldiers, and Dublin is set to drop a pending case against the UK in exchange for the changes.

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