NI victims groups reject British govt’s ‘truth panel’

Three groups representing victims of the Troubles have rejected the British government's consultative panel on how to deal with the past.

The group was recently appointed by Northern Secretary Peter Hain to assess how best to address the legacy of 30 years of violence.

However, Justice for the Forgotten, the Pat Finucane Centre and Relatives for Justice say no single party to the conflict is in a position to appoint such a panel.

They say the British government is not an outsider to the conflict, despite its attempts to distance itself from responsibility.

Any consultative panel, they say, must involve international members and representatives of victims, and should be transparent, inclusive and island-wide.