Written evidence submitted by Dr Giada Lagana, Cardiff University, relating to The Government’s new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland inquiry

Lagana, Giada 2025. Written evidence submitted by Dr Giada Lagana, Cardiff University, relating to The Government’s new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland inquiry. London: Parliament UK.

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Abstract

This submission evaluates the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill 2025 as a corrective response to the widely criticised 2023 Act, which introduced conditional immunity, curtailed inquests and civil claims, and undermined victims’ rights. Drawing on more than a decade of research on the Northern Ireland peace process, transitional justice frameworks, and public bureaucracy, the submission assesses the proposed reforms in relation to independence, information disclosure, inquests, and reconciliation. It argues that while the 2025 Bill marks meaningful progress—particularly through ending immunity, restoring legal avenues, and enhancing cross-border cooperation—significant risks remain. Without structural guarantees of independence, robust oversight, and a clear and operational definition of reconciliation, the new framework may replicate the implementation failures that have characterised past legacy initiatives. The submission advances four key recommendations: embedding reconciliation as a defined statutory purpose; ensuring the Legacy Commission’s independence and victim-centred governance; strengthening rights-compliant procedures for disclosure, inquests, and cross-border cooperation; and establishing credible implementation mechanisms, including joint UK–Irish monitoring. The analysis concludes that genuine legitimacy will depend not on legislative design alone but on transparent, participatory, and well-resourced delivery capable of rebuilding trust and supporting long-term societal repair.

Item Type:	Other
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Cardiff Law & Politics Schools > Department of Politics and International Relations (POLIR)
Subjects:	J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Publisher:	Parliament UK
Funders:	Leverhulme Trust
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 November 2025
Date of Acceptance:	October 2025
Last Modified:	17 Dec 2025 14:36
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/182714

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