LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – The United Kingdom government has advanced new legislation that it claims will revive the possibility of justice for the families of dozens of victims of unsolved paramilitary attacks committed on English soil during the Northern Ireland Troubles. The new Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which began debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, aims to repeal and replace the widely criticized Legacy Act 2023.

A key provision of the new bill is the complete removal of a contentious immunity scheme that would have offered amnesty to former militants and ex-soldiers in exchange for cooperation with a truth recovery body. This measure had been fiercely opposed by victims' groups and the Irish government, which initiated a legal challenge against the UK in the European Court of Human Rights. According to the UK's Home Office, there are 77 unsolved killings in England linked to the Troubles, including the deaths of 39 British armed forces personnel. The attacks, carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and other paramilitary groups, also resulted in over 1,000 injuries.

A Shift in Approach to Historical Legacy

The previous legislation, the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, effectively halted criminal investigations and civil actions related to the three-decade conflict. The UK's Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, stated on Monday, 17 November 2025, that the former act “shut down police investigations and proposed immunity for terrorists,” leaving many families without recourse. Jarvis, a veteran who served in Northern Ireland, asserted that the new legislation “guarantees no terrorist will be able to claim immunity from prosecution.”

The bill proposes the establishment of a reformed and independent legacy commission. This new body, unlike its predecessor, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), will have enhanced powers to conduct full police investigations where credible evidence of criminality exists. The government's stated aim is to create a “fair, proportionate and transparent system” that allows families to seek answers and, where possible, accountability.

Global Context and Kenyan Parallels

While the bill is specific to the context of the Northern Ireland conflict, its focus on transitional justice, accountability for historical crimes, and the rights of victims resonates with similar processes worldwide, including in Kenya. Kenya has its own complex history of addressing past injustices, notably through the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC), established in 2008 following the 2007-2008 post-election violence.

The Kenyan TJRC was mandated to investigate and report on gross human rights violations and other historical injustices between 1963 and 2008. However, its work has faced significant challenges, including a lack of political will for implementation, insufficient resources, and persistent impunity for perpetrators named in its reports. Analysts like Professor Gabrielle Lynch have noted that transitional justice efforts in Kenya have often struggled to deliver substantive socio-economic and political change. This contrasts with the UK's new legislative push, which seeks to re-open legal avenues for prosecution that a previous law had closed.

The debate in the UK over balancing justice, truth recovery, and reconciliation mirrors ongoing conversations in Kenya about how to address historical grievances, such as those related to land, political assassinations, and ethnic violence, which the TJRC investigated. The UK's decision to scrap immunity, following legal challenges and widespread opposition, underscores a global legal and ethical standard that prioritizes accountability for serious human rights violations—a principle that remains a key point of discussion in Kenya's own transitional justice journey.

Path Forward for the Legislation

The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill represents a significant policy shift by the current UK government, which has acknowledged the failings of the 2023 Act. The new approach has been developed in coordination with the Irish government, as part of a joint framework announced in September 2025 to address the legacy of the conflict. As the bill proceeds through Parliament, its implementation and the subsequent work of the reformed legacy commission will be closely watched by victims' families, human rights organizations, and international observers as a test of the UK's commitment to resolving one of the most painful chapters of its recent history.