PLYMOUTH MP Johnny Mercer has welcomed a Government Bill, introduced this week, designed to give immunity from prosecution to some military veterans and former terrorists accused of Troubles-era crimes in Northern Ireland.
The legislation, announced in the Queen's Speech, could have protected ex-soldier Dennis Hutchings, who went on trial in Belfast at the age of 80 for an alleged killing in Co Tyrone 40 years earlier when he was serving in the British Army.
Mr. Mercer befriended Mr. Hutchings, from Cawsand in South-East Cornwall, and attended his trial. The old soldier died while in Belfast in the course of the hearing.
In a tweet, the Plymouth Moor View MP paid tribute to Northern Ireland Secretary of State Brandon Lewis, who is piloting the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill through Parliament.
This story is from the May 19, 2022 edition of The Herald.
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This story is from the May 19, 2022 edition of The Herald.
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