Legislation – Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023

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Introduction

PART 1
The Troubles

1 Meaning of “the Troubles” and other key expressions

PART 2
The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery

2 The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery

3 ICRIR officers

4 Actions of the ICRIR: safeguards

5 Full disclosure to the ICRIR

6 Operational powers of ICRIR officers

7 Admissibility of material in criminal proceedings

8 Admissibility of material in civil proceedings

9 Requests for reviews of deaths

10 Requests for reviews of other harmful conduct forming part of the Troubles

11 Requests for reviews: general provision

12 Reviews in connection with requests for immunity from prosecution

13 Conduct of reviews

14 Supply of information

15 Production of reports on the findings of reviews

16 Consultation on reports

17 Issuing and publication of reports

18 Reports: general provision

19 Immunity from prosecution

20 Requests for immunity: procedural matters

21 Determining a request for immunity

22 The immunity requests panel

23 Personal statements by persons affected by deaths etc

24 Publication of personal statements

25 Information for prosecutors

26 Subsequent convictions: revocation of immunity

27 False statements: offence

28 Production of the historical record

29 Publication of the historical record

30 Disclosure of information: general power and prohibitions

31 The ICRIR’s use of information obtained by it

32 Identifying information that is subject to additional safeguards

33 Guidance and protocols relating to information

34 Regulations about the holding and handling of information

35 Biometric material

36 Review of the performance of the ICRIR’s functions

37 Conclusion of the work of the ICRIR

PART 3
Investigations, legal proceedings etc and release of prisoners

38 No criminal investigations except through ICRIR reviews

39 Grant of immunity: prohibition of criminal enforcement action

40 No grant of immunity: restrictions on criminal enforcement action

41 Other Troubles-related offences: prohibition of criminal enforcement action

42 General provision and saving for ongoing pre-commencement action

43 Tort, delict and fatal accident actions

44 Inquests, investigations and inquiries

45 Police complaints

46 Interim custody orders: validity

47 Interim custody orders: prohibition of proceedings and compensation

48 Prisoner release

PART 4
Memorialising the Troubles

49 Oral history

50 The memorialisation strategy

51 Response to the memorialisation strategy

52 Academic research

53 Annual reports

54 Carrying out the Troubles-related work programme

55 The advisory forum

56 Designated persons and funding

57 Interpretation of this Part

PART 5
Final provisions

58 Consequential provision

59 Regulations

60 Interpretation

61 Application to the Crown

62 Extent

63 Commencement

64 Short title

SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 1 The ICRIR, the Commissioners and ICRIR officers

SCHEDULE 2 Operational powers of ICRIR officers

SCHEDULE 3 Family members

SCHEDULE 4 Supply of information: enforcement

SCHEDULE 5 No immunity in certain circumstances

SCHEDULE 6 Permitted disclosures of information

SCHEDULE 7 Offences relating to disclosure of information

SCHEDULE 8 Identification of sensitive, prejudicial or protected international information

SCHEDULE 9 Determination of whether the prohibition on civil actions applies

SCHEDULE 10 Civil actions to which the 2008 Mediation Directive applies

SCHEDULE 11 Investigations, inquests and inquiries in England and Wales and Scotland

SCHEDULE 12 Prisoner release

SCHEDULE 13 Amendments

SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 5No immunity in certain circumstances

Section 19

PART 1Sexual offence, existing conviction or ongoing prosecution

Application of this Part

1

This Part of this Schedule applies if—

(a)

a person (P) has requested the ICRIR to grant P immunity from prosecution (the “current request”) under section 19 and conditions A to C are met, but

(b)

this Schedule prohibits a grant of immunity for an identified possible offence (see paragraphs 2 and 3).

Prohibition of grant of immunity: sexual offences

2

(1)

A grant of immunity for an identified possible offence is prohibited if it is—

(a)

a sexual offence, or

(b)

an inchoate offence relating to a sexual offence.

(2)

For the purposes of this paragraph “sexual offence” includes—

(a)

rape;

(b)

any offence committed by—

(i)

sexual assault,

(ii)

sexual activity, or

(iii)

causing or inciting another person to engage in sexual activity;

(c)

any offence relating to indecent images of children.

(3)

For the purposes of this paragraph “inchoate offence relating to a sexual offence” includes an offence of—

(a)

attempting to commit a sexual offence;

(b)

conspiracy to commit a sexual offence;

(c)

incitement to commit a sexual offence;

(d)

aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of a sexual offence.

(4)

The Secretary of State may, by regulations, make provision about the meaning of—

(a)

“sexual offence”, or

(b)

“inchoate offence relating to a sexual offence”;

for the purposes of this Part of this Schedule (including provision specifying offences which are to comprise, or to be included in, that definition).

(5)

Regulations under this paragraph are subject to negative procedure.

Prohibition of grant of immunity: conviction or ongoing prosecution

3

(1)

A grant of immunity for an identified possible offence is prohibited if—

(a)

P has a conviction for the identified possible offence,

(b)

P is being prosecuted for the identified possible offence, or

(c)

P is being prosecuted for any other offence (whether or not a Troubles-related offence), and the immunity requests panel is satisfied that granting P immunity from prosecution for the identified possible offence would risk having, or would have, a prejudicial effect on that prosecution.

(2)

For the purposes of this paragraph—

(a)

P is “being prosecuted for” an offence if a public prosecution of P for the offence has begun and is continuing;

(b)

a “public prosecution” means any prosecution other than a private prosecution;

(c)

a public prosecution of P for an offence “has begun” if a prosecutor has made the decision to prosecute P for that offence;

(d)

the circumstances in which a public prosecution of P is to be regarded as continuing include circumstances where the trial which forms part of the prosecution ends without P being convicted or acquitted or any other verdict being given and either—

(i)

the period for the prosecution to seek a retrial is continuing (without a retrial having been sought), or

(ii)

the prosecution have sought a retrial;

(e)

the circumstances in which a public prosecution of P is to be regarded as not continuing include—

(i)

circumstances where the trial which forms part of the prosecution ends with P being convicted or acquitted or with another verdict being given, and

(ii)

circumstances where the trial ends without P being convicted or acquitted or any other verdict being given and the period for the prosecution to seek a retrial ends without a retrial having been sought.

Grant of immunity prohibited for all identified possible offences

4

(1)

If this Schedule prohibits a grant of immunity for all of the identified possible offences, the ICRIR must not grant P immunity from prosecution in relation to the current request.

(2)

Accordingly, section 19(1) and (7) to (16) do not apply in relation to the current request.

Grant of immunity prohibited for some identified possible offences

5

(1)

This paragraph applies if this Schedule prohibits a grant of immunity for some (but not all) of the identified possible offences.

(2)

The immunity requests panel must not decide under section 19(7) that P should be granted immunity from prosecution for—

(a)

any identified possible offence for which this Schedule prohibits a grant of immunity, or

(b)

a description of offences that includes any identified possible offence for which this Schedule prohibits a grant of immunity.

(3)

The ICRIR must not grant P immunity from prosecution for any identified possible offence for which this Schedule prohibits a grant of immunity.

(4)

Section 19(7) to (13) have effect subject to this paragraph.

PART 2New request for immunity after revocation of previous grant

6

(1)

This paragraph applies where—

(a)

under section 26, a court revokes immunity from prosecution granted to a person (P) (the “revoked immunity”),

(b)

P requests the ICRIR to grant P immunity from prosecution (the “new request”),

(c)

the new request—

(i)

is made before the revocation and is not concluded at the time of the revocation, or

(ii)

is made after the revocation, and

(d)

conditions A to C in section 19 are met in relation to the new request.

(2)

When dealing with the new request, the duty of the immunity requests panel to decide (under section 19(7)) what immunity should be granted to P has effect subject to sub-paragraphs (3) and (4).

(3)

The panel must not decide that P should be granted immunity from prosecution for any identified possible offence which was also within the scope of the revoked immunity.

(4)

When the panel is determining under section 19(9) or (11)(b) a description of offences for which P should be granted immunity from prosecution, the panel must frame the description so that it does not consist of, or include, one or more offences which were also within the scope of the revoked immunity.

(5)

If the panel decides in accordance with sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) that there are no offences for which P should be granted immunity—

(a)

the panel must decide that P should not be granted immunity from prosecution, and

(b)

the ICRIR must not grant P immunity from prosecution (and accordingly section 19(1) does not apply).

(6)

For the purposes of this paragraph the new request is “concluded” when the ICRIR gives P written notice of the outcome of the request in accordance with section 19(13)(a).