A 'ROBUST' meeting has taken place between victims' group Relatives for Justice and former Lord Chief Justice Declan Morgan over the British government's controversial Legacy Bill.

Declan Morgan was been appointed to head up the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) which will be the main body in charge of delivering the government's much-maligned Legacy Bill which has been dubbed the 'Bill of Shame' by families.

Currently no political party on the island of Ireland supports the legislation and it has been criticised by the Irish government, the US and the European Union. The only support the bill has are from those representing British Army veterans and the Conservative Party in Britain.

Speaking about this week's meeting Mark Thompson, CEO of Relatives for Justice, said: “It was a very robust meeting, a very tough meeting and he left the room knowing that he did not have our support. We pressed him on the fact this legislation contravenes international law and that contradicts his position and he said if the courts find it is against human rights laws then he have no option but to consider his position.

“We have organised a meeting with the Taoiseach Leo Varadker who has confirmed he will meet us and he also said he has been pressing Joe Biden on this issue and relating this to the American President. 

“We will be asking the Irish government after our meetings with Amnesty International, the Committee on the Administration of Justice and the Pat Finucane Centre to take out a case against the British government if this law gets passed. We will ask them to seek an interim resolution and an inter-state case which will challenge the British government in the European Court.

“A number of lawyers who are working on cases which we are supporting will also be taking those cases to the European Court. We have a legal strategy laid out and ready to go. We told Declan Morgan he has no support and I reminded him how he spoke to families and looked them in the eye and said ‘trust in me’ and ‘have faith in me’."

Mark Thompson said he also challenged Declan Morgan on a number of inquests including the inquests for the families of the Springhill-Westrock massacre which is currently going through and may be halted due to the legislation.

“I spoke at the 51st anniversary of the Springhill-Westrock massacre on Sunday and I told Declan Morgan that Margaret Gargan, who was a 13-year-old girl when the British Army shot her dead, is officially recorded in the British government records as having been shot for being a 21-year-old gunman. I told Declan Morgan that that fundamental wrong and error won’t be able to be addressed if this legislation comes in and their inquest is shut down.

“Relatives For Justice left Declan Morgan in no doubt that we remain absolutely opposed to the NIO’s legislative campaign and the mechanisms – including that chaired by Declan Morgan – that will be established under it, and have no confidence in his position.”