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People have watched London refuse to disclose documents relevant to atrocities committed by the security forces from as far back as the Widgery Report into Bloody Sunday, Nuala O’Loan told the British House of Lords on Monday.

The cross-bench peer was speaking in opposition to a proposal by Conservative Aaron Godson that a Government proposed official history of the Troubles be included in the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill and as British Lords voted in favour of remove the immunity from prosecution provisions from the legislation.

The former Police Ombudsman said: “People have watched over the years as those with control over materials relating to the Troubles have done all they can to ensure that, in respect of so many critical incidents, the truth has not emerged because of the refusal to disclose the relevant documents, until case after case has been the subject of judicial review and judges’ and coroners’ orders.

“This has happened from the Bloody Sunday Widgery report...right through to, most recently, the findings of the inquest in relation to the Ballymurphy shootings.

John Widgery in his room at the Old Bailey as he looked through his report on the Bloody Sunday shootings. Photo credit should read: PA/PA Wire

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“No matter how noble and well-intentioned any historian designated to do this work might be, in Northern Ireland there would be suspicions and assumptions that such a history would not be free from bias. It would be most unlikely to secure public confidence.”

An amendment to legislate for an official history was not ultimately moved. The legacy bill does, however, include provision for the collection of oral history records as part of the government’s proposals for ‘memorialising the Troubles’.

British Lords voted in favour of former Secretary of State Paul Murphy’s proposal to delete Clause 18 of the bill which provides immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related killings.

“My Lords, this amendment deletes Clause 18, which introduces conditional immunity in the Bill. This is the most contentious and controversial part of the Bill. It is almost universally condemned in Northern Ireland, and I wish to test the opinion of the House,” said the Labour life peer.

The British House of Lords voted by 197 votes to 185 in favour of removing the amnesty.

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