VICTIMS' campaigner Mark Thompson has hailed the support of Irish America and said that pressure from across the Atlantic played a pivotal role in urging the Irish government to take an inter-state case against the British government over its controversial Legacy Bill.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin announced last week that the Irish government had decided to initiate an inter-state case against the United Kingdom under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Relatives For Justice CEO has held several meetings in recent months with influential Irish-American figures who have been stalwart in their criticisms of Britain's Legacy Bill – dubbed the Bill of Shame by families and victims. The Legacy Bill will shut down inquests and investigations into Troubles-related offences from May 2024.

Last year US Senator and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told a meeting of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in the Bronx in New York that he had personally told the then British PM Boris Johnson that "there will be no trade deals done if there is any backsliding on the Good Friday Agreement".

At the same meeting Senator Schumer added that he opposed "the very unwelcome and unjustified efforts in the UK to pass the regressive, so-called Legacy legislation, which will undermine the ability of the victims of the Troubles – and the families of those killed – from seeking truth and justice in the legal system. It is just wrong.”

AMERICA: North Belfast MP John Finucane, Mark Thompson (RFJ), Senator Chuck Schumer, AOH Pres. Danny O'Connell, Fergus O'Dowd TD, Martin Galvin (AOH) and Vice President of AOH Seán Pender
3Gallery

AMERICA: North Belfast MP John Finucane, Mark Thompson (RFJ), Senator Chuck Schumer, AOH Pres. Danny O'Connell, Fergus O'Dowd TD, Martin Galvin (AOH) and Vice President of AOH Seán Pender

Speaking about his trip to the US in November, Mark Thompson explained that he met with Ambassador Susan Elliott, who served as Consul General in Belfast, and who now heads up the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP), and how victims' campaigners have been working overtime to get Irish America to convince the Irish government to take an inter-state case.

“They have a special interest in Ireland, particularly the North," he said, "and from when Brandon Lewis’ (former Secretary of State for NI) command paper came out they’ve met every single British Secretary of State for the North to discuss the Legacy Bill.

“The NCAFP listened and took evidence from victims and families, the EU and International human rights organisations and recently they met Jonathan Caine (NIO minister) and grilled him about these concerns and also put questions to him which he was unable to answer.

“When I was in America, our strategy was to encourage Irish-Americans to send a message to the Irish government that if the Irish government took this case, they would have their back and stand with them.

“I was able to get a number of people to do that and met them with the Editor of the Irish Echo, Ray O’Hanlon. We spoke with hundreds of Irish-American activists. We met with Helena Nolan, the Irish appointed Consul General to New York who was very supportive. We also spoke to numerous influential members of Congress who are of Irish heritage and received overwhelming support."

VISIT: Mark Thompson (RFJ), Helena Nolan Irish Consul General for New York (ICGNY) and Gareth Hargadon, Deputy ICGNY and Martin Galvin (AOH)
3Gallery

VISIT: Mark Thompson (RFJ), Helena Nolan Irish Consul General for New York (ICGNY) and Gareth Hargadon, Deputy ICGNY and Martin Galvin (AOH)

Mark also explained that Irish-American activist Martin Galvin was influential in encouraging the Irish government to take the case.

Mark said: "US lawyer and Irish activist Martin Galvin led the way as the first person to raise the matter of getting the Irish government to take an inter-state case. He led the way."

Mark explained how the meetings and support shown were influential in the decision two weeks ago by the Irish government's Joint Orieachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement telling the Irish government that they would support them if they took the case.

“The trip was for us to show how the Irish government have made every diplomatic effort to avert and avoid the British government passing this Bill and to ask them to support the Irish government. Irish America subsequently did talk to the Irish government and said they would support them if they took this case.

“Two weeks ago we had a meeting with the Orieachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and afterwards Fergus O’Dowd TD made the decision there to state the joint committee would support the government if it took the case.

“The trip was important for reaffirming to the Irish government from Irish America that if they took the case they would have their back.”