AS PART of South East Fermanagh Foundation’s (SEFF) ongoing campaign over legacy issues related to The Troubles, a SEFF group travelled to London recently to meet with a range of MPs from across the political spectrum, as well as members of the House of Lords, public policy personnel, and opinion-formers within the media.

Amongst those SEFF met were James Sunderland MP, Chair, the All Party MP Grouping on Veterans' Issues; Louise Haigh MP, former Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; Laurence Robertson MP, former Chairman of the NI Affairs Select Committee; Carla Lockhart MP, DUP, Upper Bann; Claire Hanna MP, SDLP, South Belfast; Lord Reg Empey, and the Office of Andrew Rosindell MP, Chair of the MP grouping on Compensation for Victims of Libyan Semtex.

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Of the intentions of the visit to London, SEFF's Director of Services, Kenny Donaldson, said: "We brought with us a robust message on Legacy[-related issues]."

Mr. Donaldson said the key points brought by the group were "that access to justice must continue to be kept alive"

He continued: "The State has a responsibility to administer the law. [Other key points are] that On The Run letters and Royal Pardons for those guilty or suspected of terrorist crimes for which due process was not followed must be rescinded.

“That glorification of terrorism legislation must be strengthened, and law enforcement empowered to enforce it. This is particularly essential for those who hold elected office; sanctions must follow, including debarring them from office should they breach the law.

"The need for a UK-wide definition of 'victim/survivor of terrorism' requires to be developed which would transform the policy landscape in which victim/survivor issues operate.

“The need for a formal acknowledgements process where the UK and Republic of Ireland [get] all the proscribed terrorist organisations and their political annexes [to] acknowledge the illegitimacy of violence – that in the context of The Troubles, there was never justification for the use of criminal violence in the pursuance of, or defence of, a political objective.

“That pressure requires [to be] placed on the Republic of Ireland to confirm [that] the moratorium on pre-1998 cases has been lifted, and that law enforcement will be empowered to proactively investigate Troubles-related crimes without fear or favour.”

Mr. Donaldson said: "SEFF has campaigned on these issues for two decades, and we have put forward a range of submissions and proposals over that timeframe.

"We are clear that any process brought in to deal with the legacy of the terrorist campaigns must be fair, equitable and consistent.

"It must also be justice-centred and it must signal an end to the appeasement of terrorism. It must preserve the integrity of the past, and finally deliver for innocent victims and survivors of terrorism."

Mr. Donaldson continued: "The Belfast Agreement, for all its deficiencies, was endorsed by the people through a referendum and has a level of democratic mandate – what has occurred since 1998 does not, and the UK now has the opportunity to redress the imbalances that have been created.

"From knee-high, we're taught not to take the law into our own hands, but this is prefaced by the assurance that the law is held by someone, and will be administered. If the State ceases to do so and opts out, where does the law and its upholding go?"

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SEFF has further visits planned to London in the coming weeks where it will engage with further influential MPs and Members of the House of Lords.

The group has added that it will also continue to lobby the Northern Ireland Office, the Department of Foreign Affairs, groups representing veterans – particularly in Great Britain – and others with the consistent message that justice must prevail if democracy is to survive and also to thrive.