United Kingdom - September 2025

On 19 September, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland governments announced a new joint framework to replace the 2023 Legacy Act, aimed at restoring access to justice, strengthening independent investigations, promoting reconciliation and rule of law, and improving truth recovery for victims and survivors of the Troubles (a 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland that ended with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998). The prior framework had ended new criminal investigations, civil cases, and inquests, granting conditional immunity to those cooperating with its reconciliation body. The new framework removes these restrictions, ends the immunity scheme, restores civil and coronial processes, and establishes a restructured Legacy Commission with stronger investigatory and referral powers. It also established an information recovery body, reviving unimplemented Stormont House proposals to improve family access to historical records under updated disclosure rules.

Sources: OHCHR, The Guardian, Reuters, Government of Ireland, Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain