Move to block compensation for hundreds improperly interned in 1970s
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Hundreds of people who were unlawfully interned in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, including former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, are set to be barred from receiving compensation.
In May 2020, the UK Supreme Court unanimously held that the interim custody order (ICO) made in respect of Mr Adams in 1973 was invalid because it had not been considered by a Secretary of State.
His application for compensation for miscarriage of justice was refused by the Department of Justice, but Northern Ireland’s High Court last month ruled that it must be reconsidered.
Mr Adams’ proceedings have been widely thought to pave the way for hundreds of claims from others who were interned on the foot of invalid ICOs.
The UK government has now published legislative amendments which bar civil proceedings and compensation claims on the ground of an invalid ICO.
The new amendments to the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill will be moved today as the controversial bill continues to be considered in the House of Lords.
The bill is opposed by every political party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Irish government, Amnesty International, the Law Society of Northern Ireland, the US government and the Council of Europe, among others.
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