Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Every life is precious and justice must always reign supreme. Atrocities were perpetrated on both sides and by state forces but this should not mean the surviving victims cannot have answers to their questions or the comfort of knowing that those who bestowed deep sadness on them by destroying their families would be held to account. We cannot cancel evil or sweep it under the carpet just by saying it happened in both communities and everywhere. Evil is evil, murder is murder and wrong is wrong.

The UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is of the opinion that the best way to help Northern Ireland move forward along the road to reconciliation is to forget about the past and this accountability. Those best placed to know about this are those who have suffered. In a rare show of strength across community lines in Northern Ireland, everyone, including parties like mine not born of the Troubles, is of one voice. The leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland, Ms Clare Bailey, MLA, stated that the amnesty proposal is contrary to the rule of law and based on an entirely false premise that we can somehow draw a line in the sand with regard to the legacy of the conflict.The amnesty proposal is contrary to the rule of law and is based on an entirely false premise that we can somehow draw a line in the sand with regard to the legacy of the conflict. The trauma of conflict is intergenerational. The communities that were worst impacted by the conflict are today the communities that are suffering disproportionately from the mental health crises, socio-economic challenges and, in many cases, problematic drug and alcohol abuse.

Lord Denning of all people, a controversial but very able judge in England, in upholding an appeal in 1980 by the West Midlands Police against a civil action brought by the Birmingham Six for injuries received in custody, said that the consequences for the English legal system of accepting that police officers were lying was such an appalling vista - immortalising that particular phrase - that every sensible person would reject it. Lord Denning would later retreat from the standpoint he held and said that the people had been terribly let down by the police. He is correct that the people were let down by the police.

I understand that people are drawing the conclusion that the reason for the unilateral decision of the British Government is part of a cover-up and that somehow that Government is not willing to wash dirty laundry, does not understand that we do not have authentic true peace without reconciliation, and that this is not about punishment at its heart. It is not about putting people into prison. It is about truth. The truth will set people free. No matter how long ago these atrocious and barbaric acts happened, there would still be afforded the comfort of the rule of law, which is a rule of law that is celebrated in Britain, although in recent years one would wonder at times how a great country of common law could deteriorate into such a fractious controversy. They would still be protected by the courts. The normal defence could be mounted: that maybe delay has meant that the prejudicial effect would utterly outweigh the probative value of the evidence, or that the evidence is from so long ago that it may allegedly or potentially been tampered with. Why are people worried about the rule of law? It is also to come under the very high threshold of "beyond reasonable doubt". The way things are at the moment, this will not bring about the necessary healing.

Since I was elected as a Member of this House, that healing must begin in the Twenty-six Counties. My observation of this House is that it is predominantly from a nationalist school. It is a shame that we did not get our Unionist friend Ian Marshall into this House again. I do not like labels but many commentators would regard this House as predominantly from a nationalist, republican background.