The Northern Ireland Secretary, Theresa Villiers, has warned that anyone who received letters saying they did not face prosecution for paramilitary offences "should take careful note" that the "on-the-run" scheme had ended.
In the wake of Lady Justice Hallett’s report in July on the controversial scheme, Ms Villiers formally told the House of Commons today that the comfort letters received by almost 200 republicans did not offer them any immunity from future prosecution.
"Those who received individual or composite letters indicating that they were 'not wanted' . . . should cease to derive any such comfort," said Ms Villiers. In February First Minister Peter Robinson threatened to resign after details of the scheme came to attention. This arose after the collapse of the trial of Donegal man John Downey for involvement in the 1982 Hyde Park IRA bombings in London that killed four British soldiers.
The case broke down after it emerged he mistakenly received a letter of comfort stating that he did not face any potential prosecution in the UK. He was actually still being sought by the London Metropolitan Police.
Lady Justice Hallett’s finding that the scheme was flawed appeared to conciliate Mr Robinson and other unionists. But she was rather dismissive of unionist claims that they did not know of the scheme.
“There was sufficient information in the public domain to alert the close observer of political affairs in Northern Ireland to the fact that some kind of process existed,” she said. “The administrative scheme was kept ‘below the radar’ due to its political sensitivity but it would be wrong to characterise the scheme as ‘secret’.”
