Fugitive paramilitaries - Amnesty bill had little backing

The British Government has withdrawn the bill to provide a virtual amnesty to fugitive paramilitaries and members of the security forces involved in terrorist-related offences prior to the Good Friday Agreement.

In announcing the withdrawal of the bill, Northern Secretary Peter Hain said that the government would review the position in the autumn, when it would be mindful of the views of the parties.

The legislation, which involved granting amnesties to people guilty of horrific murders, was distinctly unpalatable for a great number of people.

All of the British political parties opposed the legislation.

The Irish Government expressed private reservations about the bill. Once Sinn Féin came out against the legislation, it seemed that just about everybody was against it.

A MORI poll conducted in Northern Ireland found that less than a quarter of the people there considered the legislation acceptable, especially the provision that would not even require offenders to appear before a tribunal.

With significant unrest on the backbenches of the Labour Party, the British Government faced reality and avoided a likely defeat by withdrawing the legislation. The Northern Secretary warned, however, that this issue would need to be faced if Northern Ireland is to move forward.

The whole thing should act as a salutary reminder of why so many unionists were unhappy with the amnesty provisions of the Good Friday Agreement.