Recommendation 3

Despite the Court of Appeal’s finding that the ICRIR had wide powers, unfettered access to all information, documents, and materials as it reasonably required, and was capable of human-rights compliant criminal investigations, ICRIR was unable to command confidence across the communities of Northern Ireland and beyond. This was a structural issue– one created by the legislation through which it was introduced. While we are sure it will continue to discharge its duties with integrity and rigour until the transition to the Legacy Commission, we are also clear that, unreformed, it would not have been able to win the trust of all communities. If all communities were to invest in and ultimately benefit from the answers that an organisation dealing with legacy cases can provide, significant reform was inevitable. We therefore welcome the Government’s willingness to address many of the concerns, from a range of stakeholders, through the Joint Framework and Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. Issues of clarification and refinement remain, however. (Conclusion, Paragraph 32)