A new deal to address the legacy of Northern Ireland's past, agreed by the Irish and UK governments, will have a lot of questions to answer, victims have said.
The two governments were also warned by Amnesty International that the new framework must be "more than simply a rebrand".
Meanwhile, Philip Barden, of legal firm Devonshires, which has represented hundreds of former soldiers in probes, welcomed commitments of co-operation by the Irish Government but said it is "ultimately more of the same" and "one-sided".
The accord, unveiled by Tánaiste Simon Harris and Northern Ireland Secretary of State Hilary Benn, includes commitments to resume legacy-related civil cases and some inquests, and restructure the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
Belfast legal firm KRW Law said it will have an "immediate practical impact on hundreds of cases".
They said while legislation is awaited, hope has been restored, and they will watch to see how the Irish Government "lives up to the promises", adding "because on past history there’s little to inspire".
"In Belfast we are now taking steps to resurrect previously stayed high court civil actions," a KRW Law spokesperson said.
"The Legacy Act halted over 100 civil cases against state agencies ranging across three decades and all strata of the conflict."
Two men whose loved ones were killed by British soldiers in Belfast and Derry in the early 1970s said the framework has to answer a lot of questions.
Mickey McKinney, whose brother William was among those killed in Derry in the Bloody Sunday shootings in 1972, and John Teggart, whose father Danny was among those killed in Ballymurphy in 1971, said they had both fought long and difficult battles for justice.
They were speaking outside Belfast Crown Court following day four of the trial of a former paratrooper known as Soldier F who has been charged with two counts of murder on Bloody Sunday.
Mr McKinney said the UK government is not trusted by victims.
Mr Teggart said just that day the Soldier F trial had been under way at Belfast Crown Court while a case involving the Glenanne Gang, whose membership included rogue members of the security forces, was under way at the High Court.
Referring to former police officers being among investigators involved with the ICRIR, set up by the previous government’s Legacy Act, Mr Teggart said there is distrust among victims.
"There are a lot of questions to be answered, but the thing is, it’s confidence," he said.
"We haven’t read the document yet, it’s all down to what is in the document, what changes.
"We campaigned for the ICRIR to be binned so it’ll take a lot of encouragement.
"We’re not going to be negative because we haven’t read it, but the people within the victims sector are no fools, so we’ll see what is in it, and we’ll decide if people like ourselves can support it."
Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International’s deputy director for Northern Ireland, said they will examine the framework to assess whether it fully complies with the European Convention on Human Rights and can genuinely deliver for victims.
"Root-and-branch reform of legacy mechanisms must be more than a rebrand. Victims have been clear: they will not accept half-measures," she said.
"Any process must put rights at the centre and deliver truth and accountability, not erase them.
"The detail in forthcoming legislation will be critical to determining whether this framework is meaningful.
"Amnesty has long called for the Legacy Act to be replaced with a process that builds on the Stormont House Agreement, has the confidence and participation of victims, and meets human rights standards.
"This framework and subsequent legislation must meet those tests and be changed or rejected if they fail them."
'There's been so many false dawns before' - says victim's son
Tyrone nationalist councillor Patsy Kelly was killed more than 50 years ago and no-one has ever been brought to justice pver his death.
A report by Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman concluded two years ago that the Kelly family had been "failed by police" through a "wholly inadequate investigation".
The family were denied an inquest four times before being granted one two years ago but then the UK Legacy Act guillotined it.
The late Mr Kelly's son, Patsy jnr, says his and many other families are today "filled with apprehension".
"There's been so many false dawns before, we've been let down on so many assurances on legacy in the past.
"Is this to be more window-dressing or is this actually going to be a genuine opportunity to bring truth, justice, and closure?" he said.
Patsy Kelly Jnr said there has been "a lot of words today from both governments".
He said it is necessary to "dig in to the detail, digest the information, find out what's actually going to take place."
Mr Kelly said: "Despite being denied four times and then having the Inquest granted, it is possible that our inquest may not begin because our inquest never began.
"There's some wording within the proposal that states those inquests will be decided upon by a solicitor-general and...certain criteria would have to be met for those inquests to begin, and otherwise they would go to the Legacy Commission."
Sinn Féin to 'carefully scrutinise' framework
Sinn Féin has said that it will "carefully scrutinise" the fine detail of the new legacy framework, insisting that securing the confidence of victims and survivors will be "paramount".
Party leader Mary Lou McDonald said: "Since the Tories imposed the callous Legacy Act, Sinn Féin has been clear that it must be repealed by this Labour government.
"We have always been of the firm view that progress on dealing with the legacy of the past can only be made when it commands the confidence of victims and survivors impacted by the conflict and be fully compliant with international human rights standards.
"Sinn Féin will now take time to carefully consider the proposed agreement announced by the governments today.
"We will scrutinise the fine detail provided and urge that the underpinning legislation is published without delay."
Meanwhile, the SDLP has expressed serious concerns that the legacy deal announced today will fall short of meeting the needs of Troubles victims and their families.
In a statement, the party welcomed the commitment that the Irish Government will comprehensively address legacy, noting that the deal represents some progress.
However, it also noted that truth recovery has "dragged on for decades because layers of secrecy and veto have consistently been deployed by paramilitary and state killers"
"We are running out of opportunities to address the past and we cannot afford another false dawn."
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the proposals require "serious examination" and also expressed frustration at what he called the Irish Government's "continuing failure to constitute its own investigation into the Omagh bombing".
Mr Robinson said it was regrettable that the deal announced today was presented as a joint framework between the UK and Irish governments, rather than being "the product of prior consultation and agreement with innocent victims and representatives of veteran".
"It is our view that the [UK] government should not be deferring to Dublin on the way in which Troubles’ crimes are investigated in Northern Ireland," he said.
However, Mr Robinson said the DUP will engage constructively with the proposals and carefully scrutinise any legislation introduced.
In the US, the co-chairman of the Congressional Friends of Ireland group Richard Neal has welcomed the new framework for dealing with legacy issues.
The Massachusetts Democrat, a long time advocate for dealing with Northern Ireland legacy issues, thanked the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minster for what he called their dedications and determination in seeking a fair and lasting resolution of the issue.
Representative Neal said the changes to the Legacy Commission would bring trust and impartiality to finding the necessary answers for victims and their families.
"This transparency is essential to bringing healing and closure to those most affected," he said.
"Just as cooperation and good faith negotiation brought an end to the Troubles through the Good Friday Agreement, these principles will guide us as we work to address the issues surrounding the legacy of the past."
Additional reporting Sean Whelan
