Fresh from agreeing to surrender the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, the government may be about to reach an equally damaging agreement with the Republic of Ireland in relation to legacy cases in Northern Ireland. Recent statements by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, suggest that the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 is to be repealed. That Act’s emphasis on truth and reconciliation, paired with conditional immunity for those who participate, looks set to be replaced by a renewed emphasis on investigations and prosecutions.

On past form, this approach to legacy cases – which centres on inquests, criminal investigations, prosecutions and trials – is likely to prove divisive. It will yield few successful prosecutions, result in an

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