UK Government Strives to Block Compensation for Former Sinn Féin Leader Gerry Adams
Keir Starmer vows to exhaust legal options preventing payouts under contested Troubles legislation.
The leader of the UK Labour Party, Keir Starmer, has assured Members of Parliament (MPs) that all available measures will be employed to prevent Gerry Adams, the former leader of Sinn Féin, from receiving compensation under plans concerning repeals of disputed legislation addressing Northern Ireland’s troubled past.
This commitment was made in response to queries during a Prime Minister’s Questions session about potential payments to Adams and others who were interned during the conflict known as the Troubles.
The situation has arisen following a Supreme Court ruling in 2020 that invalidated Adams’s convictions concerning attempts to escape incarceration from Maze prison in the 1970s.
At that time, Adams had been detained without trial, a controversial measure implemented by the British government to counteract republican violence in Northern Ireland.
The ruling challenged the legality of his detention.
Starmer faced pressure from Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch, asking whether the government intended to compensate Adams given the court’s decision.
Starmer criticized the existing Legacy Act framework, highlighting its lack of support from victims' groups and political parties in Northern Ireland.
He noted, "We will put in place a better framework," emphasizing efforts to draft a remedial order and appropriate replacement legislation.
Jonathan Caine, who served as an adviser to several Northern Ireland secretaries, has called on the government to reconsider its plans to repeal elements of the Legacy Act.
This act, established by the Conservative government, included provisions that would block compensation to individuals like Adams who were unlawfully interned.
The British government, through measures led by Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland Secretary, is actively engaging with local parties to address these issues.
Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, acknowledged the shortcomings of the current legislation and its lack of local support in Northern Ireland.
Facing scrutiny from the Conservative party, the Attorney General, who previously represented Adams, has addressed queries about his role, stating that any legal advisement remains confidential under standard protocol.
Notable criticism has arisen from various political and legal figures.
A thinktank report from Policy Exchange argues that the Labour's potential repeal of the provisions does not foster reconciliation within Northern Ireland and might lead to unfounded legal claims.
Critics include Lord Ken Macdonald, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, and Lord David Wolfson, the shadow Attorney General, who assert that these actions could be misconstrued as disregarding existing human rights legislation.
Unionist parties have expressed their opposition, alongside Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), as well as the Irish and US governments, to the notion of compensation.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson emphasized the impracticality of compensating Adams, given the pressing financial needs in crucial public sectors.
As political and legal debates continue, the British parliament and stakeholders across Northern Ireland remain deeply engaged in this complex and emotive discourse.
This commitment was made in response to queries during a Prime Minister’s Questions session about potential payments to Adams and others who were interned during the conflict known as the Troubles.
The situation has arisen following a Supreme Court ruling in 2020 that invalidated Adams’s convictions concerning attempts to escape incarceration from Maze prison in the 1970s.
At that time, Adams had been detained without trial, a controversial measure implemented by the British government to counteract republican violence in Northern Ireland.
The ruling challenged the legality of his detention.
Starmer faced pressure from Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch, asking whether the government intended to compensate Adams given the court’s decision.
Starmer criticized the existing Legacy Act framework, highlighting its lack of support from victims' groups and political parties in Northern Ireland.
He noted, "We will put in place a better framework," emphasizing efforts to draft a remedial order and appropriate replacement legislation.
Jonathan Caine, who served as an adviser to several Northern Ireland secretaries, has called on the government to reconsider its plans to repeal elements of the Legacy Act.
This act, established by the Conservative government, included provisions that would block compensation to individuals like Adams who were unlawfully interned.
The British government, through measures led by Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland Secretary, is actively engaging with local parties to address these issues.
Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, acknowledged the shortcomings of the current legislation and its lack of local support in Northern Ireland.
Facing scrutiny from the Conservative party, the Attorney General, who previously represented Adams, has addressed queries about his role, stating that any legal advisement remains confidential under standard protocol.
Notable criticism has arisen from various political and legal figures.
A thinktank report from Policy Exchange argues that the Labour's potential repeal of the provisions does not foster reconciliation within Northern Ireland and might lead to unfounded legal claims.
Critics include Lord Ken Macdonald, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, and Lord David Wolfson, the shadow Attorney General, who assert that these actions could be misconstrued as disregarding existing human rights legislation.
Unionist parties have expressed their opposition, alongside Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), as well as the Irish and US governments, to the notion of compensation.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson emphasized the impracticality of compensating Adams, given the pressing financial needs in crucial public sectors.
As political and legal debates continue, the British parliament and stakeholders across Northern Ireland remain deeply engaged in this complex and emotive discourse.
