JUSTICE Heather Hallett reviewed a Government assurance scheme for fugitive republicans linked to almost 300 murders.

Calls for Bloody Sunday soldiers to be granted amnesty on the back of a deal for IRA on-the-runs are inevitable and predictable, a senior politician in the North has said.

Former secretary of state for Northern Ireland Peter Hain has said it is risible for key politicians to claim they had no knowledge so-called comfort letters were sent to IRA on-the-runs.

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was accused today of undermining decency and democracy in his defence of legislation which will keep people suspected of offences in the North out of jail.