Victims and Survivors Call on Law Society to Cancel Controversial Legacy Conference.
The families of the Time for Truth campaign have called on the Law Society to listen to the voices of victims and survivors of the conflict and cancel a controversial legacy conference it has planned for next Friday (29th September).
The families of the Time for Truth Campaign have written to the President and Chief Executive of the Law Society (Messrs. Brian Archer and David Lavery) today and asked them to listen to victims and survivors and cancel their conference “Legacy: Reaching Beyond the Past”.
The conference will feature a keynote speech by former Lord Chief Justice Declan Morgan. Morgan is now the Chief Commissioner of the so-called Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) which was set up as a result of the British government’s controversial Legacy Bill.
The Law Society conference also advertises that it is “bringing together key leaders from government, the legal profession and representatives of Victims and Survivors”.
Nevertheless, families of the Time for Truth Campaign and leading NGOs, the Pat Finucane Centre and Relatives for Justice, have organised an all-day picket and protest outside the conference in Belfast’s Hilton Hotel.
The families of the Time for Truth Campaign wrote to the Law Society leaders today and asked them to listen to the voices of victims. The family campaign group said:
“This legislation is an affront to victims and an assault on the rule of law and the administration of justice.
This law has created anxiety and distress among victims of the conflict who now see the shutters pulled down on their legal right to an investigation, inquest, and civil action.
This Bill has been rejected by all political parties on this island and has been the subject of sustained criticism from the international human rights community.
It is insulting to our families that the Law Society is giving a platform to the former Lord Chief Justice Declan Morgan who will now head up the new legacy body which will essentially override the human rights of victims and eschew the virtues of a body that is not human rights compliant.
Our families find this insulting and shameful. It is frankly cruel, callous, and insulting to victims seeking truth and justice for their loved ones.
The Law Society should listen to the voices of the victims’ families and cancel this event.”
Notes for Editors
For further comment, email info@tftcampaign.com |Further info About Time for Truth Campaign (link).