Reading the bill’s publication files and writing a plain-English Green Book note…
Reading the bill’s publication files and writing a plain-English Green Book note…
Proposal 3160
A Bill to address the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles and promote reconciliation by establishing an Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, limiting criminal investigations, legal proceedings, inquests and police complaints, extending the prisoner release scheme in the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998, and providing for experiences to be recorded and preserved and for events to be studied and memorialised, and to provide for the validity of interim custody orders.
Appraisal prepared just now from the official papers. Next scheduled update after the next sitting or within about 24 hours.
Sponsor: Northern Ireland Office
Open publications on bills.parliament.ukPlain-English note and Green Book five-case reading from the official papers — the heart of this page.
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In plain English
The purpose of the Bill is to implement a range of measures to address the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles.
• Inquests which have not yet reached the stage of a substantive hearing by the 1 May 2023 or the date on which the ICRIR becomes operational (whichever comes first) will be stopped, but can be referred by families or coroners to the ICRIR for investigation. It agreed on a number of basic principles including reconciliation, rule of law and a victims’ centred approach and proposed the establishment of several bodies to take this forward.
The purpose of the Bill is to implement a range of measures to address the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles.
Same bill, simpler words — a deeper read without the jargon.
Imagine the country is making a new rule. This one is about: The purpose of the Bill is to implement a range of measures to address the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles.. The people who would notice most are: • Inquests which have not yet reached the stage of a substantive hearing by the 1 May 2023 or the date on which the ICRIR becomes operational (whichever comes first) will be stopped, but can be referred by families or coroners to the ICRIR for investigation. It agreed on a number of basic principles including reconciliation, rule of law and a victims’ centred approach and proposed the establishment of several bodies to take this forward.. If it became a real law, the everyday change would be: The purpose of the Bill is to implement a range of measures to address the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles..
Green Book 2026 · 5 Case Model
The purpose of the Bill is to implement a range of measures to address the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles.
It is currently at Royal Assent in the Unassigned, sponsored by Northern Ireland Office.
Accountability · outcome beside Green Book evidence
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 became law. The official papers we read covered most of the Green Book five cases with concrete detail. That does not prove the outcome was “right” — it means the case on paper was relatively complete for accountability scrutiny.
Strategic: The purpose of the Bill is to implement a range of measures to address the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles.
Economic: A £12,000 payment to be made to the relatives of the people killed during the Troubles was also proposed.
Commercial: The Police Service of Northern Ireland, thePolice Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, police forces elsewhere in the United Kingdom and other law enforcement bodies will be required to cease any current criminal investigations into conduct forming part of the Troubles (conduct which took place during the period from 1 January 1966 to 10th April 1998 (the conclusion of the Good Friday Agreement). (7) The Commissioner for Investigations may require any of the following persons to give the ICRIR such assistance as is reasonable for the purposes of, or in connection with, the effective use of information, documents and other material made available by that person under this section— (a) the Chief Constable of the PSNI; (b) the chief officer of a police force in Great Britain; (c) the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland; (d) the Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct; (e) the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.
Financial: Gap — The papers we read for this bill do not say who would pay for it, or where the money would come from.
Management: • Inquests which have not yet reached the stage of a substantive hearing by the 1 May 2023 or the date on which the ICRIR becomes operational (whichever comes first) will be stopped, but can be referred by families or coroners to the ICRIR for investigation. (6) The ICRIR must provide a copy of each annual report to the Secretary of State.
This is an accountability reading, not a recommendation and not a score. It does not say whether Parliament should have passed or rejected the bill. It only sets the actual parliamentary outcome beside how complete the Green Book five-case evidence was in the official papers.
These UK Acts sit in a similar policy space and are already law. Pairing uses this proposal’s official papers (and the plain-English note themes). It is not a verdict that the proposal is redundant or unnecessary.
UK Act · Royal Assent · 2026-05-14
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026
Nearby policy wording to this bill. Matched using wording from this bill’s official papersAlready law — context only, not a verdict on whether the new bill is needed.
UK Act · Royal Assent · 2010-07-26
Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010
Nearby policy wording to this bill. Matched using wording from this bill’s official papersAlready law — context only, not a verdict on whether the new bill is needed.