No British ministers who served during the Troubles and who gave orders to British soldiers and police will find themselves alongside veterans if they face new legacy investigations, two senior retired British Army commanders have said. Sharply critical of the legacy legislation agreement between London and Dublin, the two retired officers said ministers would not “be present to answer for the choices they made”, yet veterans would have to do so. “Yet today the British state is content to let individuals face legal scrutiny alone, while both the chain of command and the government that sent them to Northern Ireland step back from responsibility. The legacy framework agreed last November between Dublin and London will replace controversial legislation passed by the Conservatives that blocked Troubles inquests and civil actions. Legacy promises should offer pledges to families and victims that can be kept, not ones that will simply keep old sores permanently open.

Source: The Irish Times March 10, 2026 20:14 UTC