This article originally appeared in The Telegraph on the 19 of January 2026 and comes ahead of the Remedial Order which will be debated/discussed in Parliament tomorrow
More than 3,500 people lost their lives in the Troubles. Among them were almost 2,000 civilians, and more than 1,100 members of our brave security forces. Paramilitaries including the IRA and UVF were responsible for the vast majority of the deaths.
Today, close to a third of the killings remain unsolved, and too many families still do not know exactly what happened to their loved ones. They have waited decades for the truth, with trust ebbing away, as legal processes faltered, stalled and ultimately failed them.
The previous Government's legacy legislation was undeliverable, it was rejected by our domestic courts and it was wrong in principle to attempt to give immunity to terrorists.
Tomorrow I will be asking the House of Commons to endorse a Remedial Order to remove indefensible and legally defective provisions from the Legacy Act. This will provide confidence and clarity for families and veterans on two issues.
First, the Legacy Act removed the right of UK citizens to pursue Troubles-related civil cases, effectively blocking those affected by terrorist attacks on UK soil from seeking justice for what happened to them, their family or a loved one. This was simply wrong.
Yesterday it was incorrectly stated in these pages that 800 civil cases will be reactivated by the government, resulting in our veterans being dragged into the courts. This is simply untrue.
Almost 800 live civil cases continued unaffected by the last Government's Legacy Act. The Act sought only to block any new claims, but this was rejected by our courts. And in practice Northern Ireland veterans rarely appear before the civil courts.
Civil cases have long been a means by which people can pursue action against the State. And they have also enabled truth and accountability for victims of terrorist atrocities including the Omagh bombing. Indeed, in the coming months Gerry Adams will face trial in a civil case brought by victims of the Old Bailey, Manchester and Docklands bombings.
It cannot be right to remove citizens' ability to bring such actions.
Second, the Legacy Act proposed granting immunity, including to terrorists. This was abhorrent to the victims and survivors of terrorist violence and was rejected across communities in Northern Ireland. With the passage of time the prospect of prosecutions is diminishing, but the vast majority of those since the Good Friday Agreement have been for terrorist offences.
In the end, the immunity scheme was never commenced and then the courts intervened. So nobody ever claimed immunity, but it has created enormous legal uncertainty for families, and also for our veterans because the protection supposedly offered by the Legacy Act for them turned out to be a mirage.
Let me be clear. There never has been and never will be any moral equivalence between our Armed Forces - who laid down their lives for this nation - and terrorist organisations.
In taking forward the replacement legislation that is now necessary, I am working closely with the Defence Secretary and Armed Forces Minister.
A reformed Legacy Commission will enable families and victims of violence to seek answers. The Commission will benefit, for the first time, from information shared by the Irish authorities, which could help solve murders that happened on UK soil, including the murders of members of our Armed Forces.
In our frequent discussions with those who served, they have been clear that they do not ask to be placed above the law. Our veterans understand the responsibility that comes with the uniform they have worn.
What they are asking for, and what they deserve, is a system that is fair and based on the rule of law. We are listening to them and will continue to do so.
And we are putting in place new and effective protections for our Northern Ireland veterans and former security personnel. These include an end to non-essential repeat investigations, an end to veterans travelling to Northern Ireland to share information, and an end to cold calling or the unexpected knock at the door.
Since it was signed in 1998, the Good Friday Agreement has been a beacon of hope. But the issue of legacy remains unresolved. It is right that we debate the way forward but it must be on the basis of the facts.
There is now a legal necessity to legislate, and we must ensure we put in place a system that is fair, proportionate and deliverable for veterans.
