Sinn Fein representative Conor Heaney
Conor Heaney said: “I welcome the comments from the European Committee of Ministers on the British government’s failures to deal with the legacy of the conflict.
“In a week when the British government’s continuing policy of impunity has been exposed, this decision by the Committee of Minister clearly outlines Article 2 obligations on the British state to provide access to due process, truth and justice to families.
“It put on record its serious concern at the British government’s failure to implement the legacy mechanisms agreed in the Stormont House Agreement.
“The Committee of Ministers called on the British government to produce a timeline of its next steps to implement what has already been agreed.
“The committee expressed serious regret about that investigations and litigation into the cases of McKerr, Shanaghan, Jordan, Kelly and others and McCaughey have still not been completed.
“It also gave the British government a deadline to respond to the latest judgement from the British Supreme Court in the case of Pat Finucane which found his murder had not been properly investigated to date.
“The committee welcomed the release of funding for legacy inquests as proposed by the Lord Chief Justice but called on the British government to provide more information about the same and amount of funding.
“There is an onus on the British government to address the legacy of the conflict as a matter of urgency by implementing what it has already agreed,” he added.
