Ireland's president on Friday hit out at new UK legislation designed to draw a line under the violence during the Northern Ireland "Troubles", 50 years on from the biggest single-day loss of life in that period. Higgins said London's introduction of the legislation had ended any chance the victims' families had of finding out what happened, or of securing justice. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 came into force this month, halting any inquests, civil cases and criminal prosecutions linked to the Troubles. Ireland said in December it had launched legal action against the UK government in the European Court of Human Rights over the legacy law. All Northern Irish political parties oppose the legislation, and Europe's leading rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, has also expressed "serious concerns".
