The UK government has announced it intends to appeal a court judgment that a key plank of its controversial Legacy Act is in breach of the European Convention of Human Rights and should be struck out.
The move, which had been widely expected, was confirmed in a statement issued this morning.
It said that having considered all aspects of last week's judgment in Belfast's High Court, it had moved to lodge an appeal with the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal.
"We remain committed to implementing the Legacy Act and delivering the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery to provide better outcomes for victims and survivors of the Troubles by giving them more information about what happened to their loved ones."
The High Court in Belfast ruled that an immunity clause in the legislation was in breach of the European Convention of Human Rights.
It would have offered a conditional amnesty to killers and others who agreed to co-operate with the new new truth recovery body.
It also said the legislation was in breach of rights protections contained in the Windsor Framework - the deal agreed by the EU and the UK as part of post Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland.
