The Government is likely to try and ban prosecutions of Northern Ireland veterans who were involved in the Troubles within the next six months, according to a report.
The plan to introduce legislation is expected to be a key pledge in the upcoming Queen’s Speech next month.
It is now expected the Legacy Bill will be pledged in the Queen’s Speech next month as part of the Government’s legislative agenda for the coming year, according to the Sunday Telegraph.
The Bill would impose a statute of limitations on criminal prosecutions for offences committed during the Troubles up until the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
Leo Docherty the veterans minister said that he expected the legislation to be introduced within the next six months.
Mr Docherty told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘If this was easy, we would have done it already – and it is very complicated because it is Northern Ireland.
‘But, I’m pleased to say, we expect from the Northern Ireland Office a bill that will give closure to veterans of (Operation) Banner, of whom there are some 300,000.
‘We expect this bill to give closure with honour and finality and I expect that to come forward very soon.
‘It’s really about ensuring that it was legally watertight – it has taken this long because we’re trying to get it right.’
The proposals, which Boris Johnson said would allow Northern Ireland to ‘draw a line under the Troubles’.
Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer (pictured), quit the role due to slow progress on the bill
But the plan has been criticised by political parties in Northern Ireland as well as the Irish Government, and a number of victims’ and survivors’ groups.
Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer, who quit as the minister last year over the lack of progress on the legislation, said he would ‘believe it when I see it’.
Mr Mercer said: ‘A named bill in the Queen’s Speech is a significant move forward on this legislation that should have been enacted years ago.
‘The delays have cost lives and put Northern Ireland veterans through hell needlessly. My thoughts are with them today.’
In response, a Government source told the newspaper: ‘It is absolutely our intention to include this legislation to be introduced in the third session.
‘Pressure on the parliamentary timetable meant it wasn’t introduced before the pre-election period in Northern Ireland.
‘Our hope is for a swift introduction, as we are able to bring forward proposals having reflected on all our engagement following our command paper last summer, as we promised.’
Towards the end of last year, Northern Ireland veteran Dennis Hutchings died aged 80 in October midway through his attempted murder trial.
Mr Hutchings had been ill with kidney failure and required dialysis three times a week but travelled to Belfast to stand trial.
At the time, the family of the Army veteran called on prosecutors to ‘unreservedly apologise’ for bringing charges amid claims police lost key evidence.
Lawyers acting for great-great-grandfather Dennis Hutchings, ended up filing a formal complaint to police and Northern Ireland’s prosecution service insisting he should never have been prosecuted.
Mr Hutchings was accused of the attempted murder of John Pat Cunningham, 27, who was shot dead in the village of Benturb, County Tyrone, in June 1974.
In evidence presented to the court shortly before Mr Hutchings passed away in Belfast, the trial heard that Soldier B had fired ‘tracer’ rounds – which have a small pyrotechnic charge – and Mr Hutchings had not. These bullets would have left chemical residue on field dressings applied to wounds at the time, but this evidence is now presumed lost.
His legal team suggested this evidence means investigators could have established which bullets killed Mr Cunningham.
A complaint said: ‘If the police had lost the key evidence by which this could be determined, that should have been disclosed and the case withdrawn.’
Prosecutors claimed Mr Hutchings and a serviceman known as Soldier B – now dead – both fired their weapons, but they could not prove who fired the fatal shots.
This led to the former Life Guards staff sergeant being charged with only attempted murder.