Sinn Féin MP John Finucane said tonight that the Westminster Legacy Bill is about denying truth and justice to victims of the conflict and is the action of a rogue state which fears what the legal process will deliver for families.

John Finucane was speaking at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the killings of six unarmed men on the New Lodge Road by the British army on the night of February 3rd and 4th 1973. The North Belfast MP said:

“The British government’s Legacy Bill is about: amnesties for state forces; denying investigation; avoiding accountability and cover-up.

“This Bill will in law deny any family their legal right to an investigation in line with human rights law, or an inquest, public inquiry, or ability to pursue a civil action. It is a full-frontal assault on the administration of justice.

“It will deny the New Lodge Families their right to an inquest. This is beyond cruel and callous.

“The Legacy Bill is unworkable, it will not deliver for victims and survivors, it is in breach of the Good Friday Agreement, and it is incompatible with international human rights obligations.

“These are the actions of a rogue state who fears the truth that basic legal process will deliver for families.”

And he called on the British Prime Minister to withdraw the Bill.

“The British government fear families who speak truth to power.  They fear families seeking truth and justice. 

“So again, to Rishi Sunak I say that neither we nor the families here tonight – will accept the denial of our basic legal rights and that this flawed legacy legislation should be withdrawn without further delay.”

John Finucane said the British government will not succeed in preventing the truth emerging.

“A success for one family is a success for us all, and a challenge or an obstacle to one family is a challenge to us all.

“Every single success a family has had in exposing the role of the British state here, in fighting for truth and justice, has come about in spite of, never because of, the actions of the British government. So we should not be surprised when they use crude methods to cover up their role. 

“But they will ultimately not be successful. 

“And the reason for this is very simple, it’s because of the families like the New Lodge Six we are remembering tonight, and many others. 

“As we leave tonight, we carry the names of Jim McCann, Jim Sloan, Tony ‘TC’ Campbell, Brendan ‘Fat’ Maguire, John Loughran and Ambrose Hardy with us.

“And we say to the families we will always stand with you until truth and justice has been achieved.

“We are not giving up.”