The Legacy Act
Protecting Our Veterans Isn’t Rewriting History — It’s A Moral Duty The Legacy Act, introduced by the last government, was a bold if flawed attempt to bring closure to the long, painful chapter of the Troubles. Its aim—to draw a line under endless investigations—was not about forgetting, but about protecting. Specifically, protecting those who served in uniform, under extraordinary pressure, in one of the most complex conflicts in British history. Our soldiers were not terrorists. They did not seek out violence or plant bombs. They were deployed by the state to keep order during a deeply fractured period. Many were teenagers. Many made split-second decisions in fear for their lives. Some showed astonishing restraint. All bore witness to scenes that would leave lasting trauma. It’s true the Legacy Act offered conditional immunity to all sides, and that’s where it stumbled—because the law made no moral distinction between state forces and illegal paramilitaries. In seeking a legal ...