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A Belfast court ruled on Wednesday that a new British law granting people immunity from prosecution for crimes committed during Northern Ireland\u2019s bloody sectarian conflict \u2014 known as the Troubles \u2014 would be a breach of human rights.<\/p>\n
The British government introduced the legislation, known as the Legacy Act<\/a>, last year, aiming to \u201cpromote reconciliation\u201d in the region, despite opposition from every political party there. The law would halt all inquests, civil actions and cold-case reviews of Troubles-related cases that have not been resolved by May 1, and redirect them to an independent commission<\/a>.<\/p>\n Crucially, the law also includes provisions for conditional amnesty for people suspected of crimes committed during the Troubles, including serious offenses.<\/p>\n Wednesday\u2019s decision, by the High Court in Belfast, was the result of a judicial review that it carried out after victims and families affected by the Troubles brought the issue to the court. Judge Adrian Colton, who delivered the ruling<\/a>, said he believed that granting immunity from prosecution under the act would breach the European Convention on Human Rights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Although the complex ruling is likely not to affect Britain\u2019s ability to carry out parts of the law as soon as May 1, legal experts say it is a major blow to the country\u2019s already fragile Conservative government, whose support has been falling in the polls before an election that will be held within the next year.<\/p>\n