Professor Kieran McEvoy:

On the utility of the interstate process, the process within the European system is designed to uphold the rule of law within the Council of Europe. Essentially, referrals are speeded up in terms of how they are considered. However, I think Mr. Holder's earlier point is a strong one. This is not simply about what is going on in Northern Ireland. If a Government as senior as the UK Government is seen to introduce this kind of an amnesty, it will embolden authoritarian regimes around the world. For people who take seriously upholding the rule of law within the Council of Europe, and I would imagine most of the member states do, I think the alarm bells will ring. If the Irish Government determined that this is the way to go, I think there will be a receptiveness to how serious and important this issue is. I want to put on the record that in no way am I criticising the Department of Foreign Affairs. I think the officials there have had the patience of saints in their engagement with the Northern Ireland Office over the last number of years around legacy issues. They really stretched themselves as far as they could as diplomats but sometimes diplomacy alone does not work in these kind of relationships. One would expect that if there was a different shade of Government or even a different style of Tory leadership with an openness, progress could be made. The peace process only works when there is joint stewardship between the British and Irish Government. This British Government has not done that. Being open to returning to a normal grown-up diplomatic relationship between the two states, as well as bearing some teeth via an interstate challenge, would seem to me to be a sensible way to progress.