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A debate on the Northern Ireland Legacy Act will occur in Parliament in July after a petition, supported by the Daily Express surpassed 100,000 signatures. The act was launched by the Conservative authorities in 2023 in a bid to guard veterans of campaigns in Northern Ireland from spurious prosecutions, inflicting outrage amongst former troopers and campaigners.

Labour has begun the method of repealing the act after a courtroom in Belfast dominated that elements of it have been incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The petition, launched by former Brigadier Ian Liles OBE, calls on the Government to “not make any modifications to laws that will permit Northern Ireland Veterans to be prosecuted for doing their responsibility in combating terrorism”. After surpassing the landmark and forcing a debate on July 14, Liles told the Daily Express: “I was relieved because it means that it needs to be debated but we hope to get to 250,000 signatures and really pressure them to appeal the decision by the Irish court that the Legacy Act broke international human rights law.

“There is no human rights issue, it is a law issue and it was lawful at the time.”

Mr Liles, who served in the British Army for 37 years, which included 13 years in Northern Ireland believes that public opinion could be a powerful tool in dissuading the government from pressing ahead with their plans.

He added: “I think anything that makes the government look bad when everything is going poorly for them will pressure them into doing something about it. They can’t keep having bad news after bad news.

“Tony Blair pardoned known killers and others were released early and that is why it is two tier justice. Now, Starmer is doing his lawyer nonsense and bowing to European courts. It is political cowardice.

“Everyone knows that most human rights lawyers enter that field because they are not good enough to be criminal lawyers.

Liles fears that the prosecution of veterans for events decades earlier risks undermining attempts to solve an Armed Forces recruitment crisis.

He said: “The Northern Ireland generation are very angry. They spent years there, gave their lives, limbs and mental fitness and now have issues that will never go away. These are the people that will be thrown on the scrapheap.

“Serving soldiers are telling me they find it terrifying – We are discussing deployments to Ukraine but the message to young soldiers is that if you make a snap decision which is forensically analysed decades later to find a mistake, you won’t be protected.”

Shadow Armed Forces Minister, Mark Francois said: “The Government’s response reeks of hypocrisy. It states the Legacy Act, which now helps protect our Veterans, has been found ‘unlawful’ even though they could have appealed those judgements – but deliberately didn’t.

“Moreover, it talks about providing ‘legal support’ to Veterans being prosecuted, rather than seeking to stop the process, as the 132,000 petitioners (so far) requested.

“When Labour talk about ‘legal support’ what they really mean is providing a personal lawyer to help Gerry Adams sue the British taxpayer – including Lord Hermer, now Labour’s Attorney General. Veterans will, rightly, be absolutely appalled at this.”

Responding to the petition, the government said: “The strategy taken by the final Government to the legacy of the Troubles was flawed. The Legacy Act – which might have additionally given immunity to terrorists – has been discovered to be illegal and was opposed by many, together with households who misplaced kinfolk while serving in Northern Ireland.

“Any Government would have to repeal unlawful legislation. This Government is therefore committed to repeal and replace the Legacy Act in a way that is lawful, fair and that enables families, including military families, to find answers.”

The Daily Express has contacted the Northern Ireland Office for remark.