Amnesties, Prosecution and the Public Interest in the Northern Ireland Transition

Lead Research Organisation: Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: Sch of Law

Abstract

CONTEXT
This application for Follow-on Funding aims to build upon the comparative research conducted in the Beyond Legalism project which explored the use of amnesties in conflict transformation in South Africa, Uganda, Uruguay, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Argentina. Originally, that project did not include Northern Ireland, as the debate was not a 'live' one at the time. Since that grant was completed, the public need for an internationally and legally informed contribution on the relationship between amnesties, non-prosecution and dealing with the past in Northern Ireland has become increasingly apparent. Together with the partner organisation, Healing Through Remembering, this proposal seeks to address that gap.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The overall aim of this 12-month project is to facilitate a process of knowledge exchange between the academic team, the project partner and key local actors on the role of amnesties and prosecution in dealing with the past in Northern Ireland. To achieve this aim, the project objectives are:
1. To engage in a process of gradual knowledge exchange through a carefully sequenced pattern of engagement with key local actors, including victims, former Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries, security force members, politicians and civil servants, and civil society representatives. This engagement will move from a series of private briefings for key constituencies during months 1-3; to a series of invite-only roundtables in months 4-8 that will explore themes identified on the basis of the Beyond Legalism project research; to a public conference at which local and international scholars and practitioners will explore the project themes in month 11.
2. To disseminate the Beyond Legalism findings and inform public debate through strategic interaction with print, broadcast and online media, and the creation of a project website.
3. To reflect upon and disseminate the knowledge produced in a project report and a fully theorised academic article (which will focus explicitly on this style of knowledge transfer).
4. To work with our project partner to enhance the organisation's technical capacity.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS AND BENEFITS
This project will benefit a range of non-academic audiences. Within Northern Ireland, beneficiaries will include the project partner, other local civil society organisations, relevant government departments, policing organisations (PSNI, HET and Police Ombudsman), human rights groups and legal institutions (especially Public Prosecution Service). These groups will benefit from the private briefings, invite-only roundtables, and public conference. For NGOs, this engagement will again enhance their knowledge of the international legal framework concerning amnesties and of how other jurisdictions have grappled with these challenges. For governmental actors, the project will contribute to greater evidence-based policymaking and, potentially, impact on the operational and organisational culture of relevant institutions. For all local users, the project will create a space for informed and debate on highly sensitive topic.
Elsewhere, the project will benefit policymakers within the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally who work on transitional justice. The proposed programme of knowledge exchange and dissemination will provide a transferrable methodology and will contribute to evidence-based policymaking among international actors, and raise international awareness of the complexities of balancing immunity, truth and prosecutions.
The project will also be of interest to academics working in the fields of political science, criminology, international relations, anthropology, sociology, peace studies and conflict transformation. The project will develop and refine the theoretical contributions of the Beyond Legalism project and will propose a methodology designed to address critiques of international comparative work as rarely offering tangible benefits for the local community

Planned Impact

WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS RESEARCH?

Beyond its academic contribution, this project will impact positively on non-academic users in Northern Ireland currently engaged in debates about dealing with the past. The project partner, Healing through Remembering (HTR), will benefit directly, as will a wide range of other local civil society organisations working in the field including victims groups, former combatant organisations, and former security force member organisations - all of whom will be targeted in the dissemination strategy. Relevant government departments, policing organisations (PSNI, HET and Police Ombudsman), human rights groups and legal institutions (especially Public Prosecution Service) will also benefit.

Outside Northern Ireland, the project will be relevant to policymakers within the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland involved in this field. The project will also be indirectly beneficial for state and intergovernmental actors that intervene in dealing with the past work in Northern Ireland, including the European Union, Council of Europe Committee of Ministers and the United States government. Internationally, this project will enhance the work of actors in transitional justice, peacebuilding and conflict transformation through the knowledge produced and the innovative methodologies employed. Elements of the UN, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Organisation of American States, the African Union, the British FCO and the US State Department all engage with the tension between amnesties, prosecutions and truth recovery. In addition, the project will assist with transnational civil society actors, such as the International Center for Transitional Justice. Finally, the project will contribute to the skills and experience of the project team.

HOW WILL THEY BENEFIT FROM THE RESEARCH?

HTR will benefit through the exchange of knowledge with the project team, in particular the research capacity, knowledge and technical skills drawn from the international context and legal elements of the subject matter.

Local stakeholders will benefit from the private briefings, invite-only roundtables, and public conference. For NGOs, this engagement will again enhance their knowledge of the international legal framework concerning amnesties and immunity and how other jurisdictions have grappled with these challenges. For governmental actors, the project will contribute to greater evidence-based policymaking and, potentially, impact on the operation and organisational culture of institutions such as the HET and the civil society organisations that support them in engaging with affected families. For all local users, the project will create a space for informed debate on a highly sensitive topic. More broadly, the project will raise awareness and understanding of this divisive issue through its media strategy.

The project will also seek to engage policymakers, donors and practitioners within the UK, Republic of Ireland and elsewhere through the use of policy and academic outputs, which will analyse how the diverse forms of amnesty and immunity play out in dealing with the past in Northern Ireland. Also, among transitional justice activists and policymakers, there is a growing interest in fostering public consultation and engagement with transitional justice and rule of law programmes. The proposed carefully sequenced programme of knowledge exchange and dissemination will provide a transferrable methodology and will contribute to evidence-based policymaking among international actors, and raise international awareness of the complexities of balancing immunity, truth and prosecutions.

Finally, the research team will develop their own research and professional skills through the opportunity to test theoretical insights with the Northern Irish context. In addition, they will participate in relevant training programmes offered by the universities.
 
Description This is an AHRC Follow-On Funding Project which was not intended to produce scholarly outputs, but rather to feed technical information into political and civil society organisations concerning the debate on dealing with the past in Northern Ireland.
Exploitation Route Complex political negotiations on sensitive matters need the assistance of technical academic experts capable of producing such information in accurate but accessible formats. Academics can reach a diverse audience, particularly if working in partnership with respected civil society interlocutors. On the specific subject matter of this project (dealing with the past), we have made clear that such efforts must be lawful; bespoke in terms of the local political and social conditions; must involve mechanisms designed to achieve truth recovery, acknowledgement, apologiesand reparations for victims.
Sectors Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy
URL http://amnesties-prosecution-public-interest.co.uk/
 
Description During the period of the Amnesties, Prosecutions and Public Interest project, its main impacts were as follows: 1. Providing practical models to influence political negotiations led by Haass-O'Sullivan (to be evidenced through testimonials and tracking success of our recommendations through the draft agreement and into subsequent Stormont House Agreement) 2. Building the capacity of our project partner Healing through Remembering on these issues (evidenced by testimonials) 3. Developing a partnership with the Commission for Victims and Survivors 4. Building capacity of other stakeholders on dealing with the past in NI who have sought briefings from the project team (evidenced by testimonials) 5. Informing public debate on dealing with the past in Northern Ireland (evidenced by media coverage, download stats of project report, completed conference and roundtable feedback sheets etc) Following the formal completion of this project, the project team secured additional funding to continue their work with respect to the implementation of the past-related aspects of the Stormont House Agreement. This is still work in progress, its main impacts to date include: 1. Providing a practical and influential model of legislation to implement the Stormont House Agreement in a human rights compliant manner 2. Building the capacity of our project partner CAJ on these issues 3. Building capacity of other stakeholders on dealing with the past in NI who have sought briefs from the project team 4. Informing public debate on the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement through project conferences, media engagement and blogs.
First Year Of Impact 2014
Sector Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy
Impact Types Societal
 
Description Contribution to Commission for Victims and Survivors Advice on Dealing with the Past to Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
Impact The Commission for Victims and Survivors is the statutory body tasked with safeguarding the needs and interests of victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland conflict. One of its key duties has been to provide formal advice to the First and Deputy First Minister on dealing with the past. Over the lifetime of the AHRC follow on project the project team have developed a close working relationship with the CVSNI including participating in a workshop and co-organising two major conferences. 1. Following an invite to address a workshop on the theme of Historical Investigations and Information Recovery that was attended by over 56 participants from across the victims' sector. Prof McEvoy presented on Amnesties, Prosecutions and the Public Interest (14 February 2013). Following very positive evaluations from that contribution, the Victims Commissioner invited the project team to co-organise two high profile conferences on dealing with the past (February 2014) and remedies for victims (October 2014). 2. The purpose of the conference on dealing with the past was to capture a range of views from groups and individuals. It was designed as a consultative event, with the feedback and views from delegates being used by the Commission to inform this advice. There were 251 individual delegates at the conference from across the victims and survivors sector including groups and service deliverers, statutory agencies, members of the Victims and Survivors Forum and individuals. McEvoy delivered a plenary address at the conference critiquing the content of the Haass proposals and members of the project team led workshops on truth (Mallinder), reparations (Moffett), acknowledgment (McEvoy), and justice (Anthony). Each of these sessions was facilitated by mediators from Healing Through Remembering. The conference was given widespread media coverage. In addition, organised a separate post-conference briefing dinner for the negotiating teams for the five parties in the Northern Ireland Executive participating in talks on dealing with the past as well as representatives from the British and Irish governments. 3. The subsequent advice given by the Commission to OFMDFM drew heavily on the team's contributions. 4. In October 2014 the project team with co-organised another major conference with the CVSNI entitled 'Remedying the Past, Healing for the Future'. One of the themes, which emerged as unaddressed from the previous events, was the issue of reparations for victims. This conference aimed to encourage an informed discussion around how tangible measures could be used to improve the quality of life for victims and survivors. The keynote speech was delivered by Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade, a Brazilian judge at the International Court of Justice, former President and judge of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and a professor of international law. Judge Cançado Trindade is widely acknowledged as the jurist who has done most to advance international law in this field. The conference also included input from the project team, victims and survivors from across the political spectrum and local practitioners working on dealing with past. The conference was attended by 150 persons and was covered in the local print and broadcast media. Following the conference the Commission will be working closely with the project team to produce a comprehensive conference report.
URL http://www.cvsni.org/index.php/media-centre/news/318-remedying-the-past-healing-for-the-future
 
Description Contribution to the Proposed Agreement on Parades, Flags and Contending with the Past
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
Impact In July 2013, the five political parties in the Northern Ireland Executive established a Panel of the Parties to consider how to resolve contestations over parades, flags and dealing with the past. The Panel invited Ambassador Richard Haass to Chair the Panel and Meghan O'Sullivan to be the Vice-Chair. The Panel was tasked with delivering recommendations to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister by the end of December 2013. To assist them in this task, the Panel initiated a public consultation process. Following the creation of the Panel, the project team 1. Submitted a 20 page consultation document outlining the project and activities to date, provided legal analysis on the key challenges related questions of amnesty, truth recovery and prosecutions in dealing with the past. 2. Met with the Vice-Chair and staff and continued to brief throughout the negotiations. The mediation team did not have their legal advisers and so relied heavily on local expertise. 3. Throughout the negotiation process, the project team met with the negotiating team from each of the parties offering technical advice, responding to questions and providing follow up papers (on condition that these would be made available to all parties and the general public on our project website) 4. Following requests by the mediators, civil society groups (including the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association) and a number of the political parties, McEvoy and Mallinder produced a paper outlining a series of models on the relationship between amnesties, truth and prosecutions. One of these models proposed 'limited immunity' in exchange for offenders engaging in truth recovery. Drawing on UK public law and the privilege against self-incrimination in the conduct of public inquiries, this model sought to relocate the debate away from international transitional justice discourses to British legal tradition which is more palatable to political Unionism. This proposal was ultimately adopted by all of the parties in the Haass negotiations and appeared in the final draft agreement. This was not the issue that ultimately led to the Unionist parties rejecting the agreement. 5. The project team also engaged extensively with local, national and international broadcast and print media. For example, the largest circulating newspaper in Northern Ireland printed a front page, two-page spread and supportive editorial outlining the models produced by McEvoy and Mallinder. Following this news story breaking the two Unionist parties confirmed for the first time that they were willing to countenance such a mechanism. The other three parties involved in the negotiations were already on the record of favouring versions of amnesty or immunity. Although the draft agreement (which went through seven iterations) does not cite any secondary sources or submissions, it has been confirmed by a number of political parties, the British Government (Northern Ireland Office Legacy Unit), and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs that the section of the agreement relating to limited immunity was taken from our second submission outlining models for truth, amnesties and prosecutions - the subject matter for the AHRC follow on funding. Despite the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party stating that the agreement was 90 per cent secured, both Unionist parties ultimately rejected the draft agreement apparently, primarily on issues related to the flags and marching. The team continued to brief the political parties in the wake of the collapse of the talks. For example, after co-organising (with the Commission for Victims and Survivors) a major conference on dealing with the past, the team organised a separate post-conference briefing dinner for the negotiating teams for the five parties as well as representatives from the British and Irish governments. Negotiations recommenced in October 2014 and the two governments have confirmed that the elements previously agreed in the Haass-O'Sullivan process are the starting point for the current round of talks. The team recommenced briefings with the senior staff in the Northern Ireland Office Legacy Unit and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to coincide with the talks recommencing.
URL http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/haass.pdf
 
Description QUB Business Alliance
Amount £41,000 (GBP)
Organisation Queen's University Belfast 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2014 
End 09/2016
 
Description Commission for Victims and Survivors 
Organisation Commission for Victims and Survivors
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution As detailed below in relation to the collaboration outcomes, the project team participated and co-organised a number of events with the Commission for Victims and Survivors. In doing so, the research team helped to decide the subject matter of the events, contributed to outreach strategies, and through our intellectual insights contributed to the informed policy outcomes that result.
Collaborator Contribution Through working with the Commission for Victims and Survivors, the project team were able to engage with victims and victim organisations from across the territory of Northern Ireland and across the political spectrum. This is significant as many of the victims from a Unionist or Loyalist background are traditionally resistant to discussions of amnesty and transitional justice. In addition, through working with the Commission the project team were able to contribute directly to policy papers on dealing with the past.
Impact The Commission for Victims and Survivors is the statutory body tasked with safeguarding the needs and interests of victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland conflict. One of its key duties has been to provide formal advice to the First and Deputy First Minister on dealing with the past. Over the lifetime of the AHRC follow on project the project team have developed a close working relationship with the CVSNI including participating in a workshop and co-organising two major conferences. 1. Following an invite to address a workshop on the theme of Historical Investigations and Information Recovery that was attended by over 56 participants from across the victims' sector. Prof McEvoy presented on Amnesties, Prosecutions and the Public Interest (14 February 2013). Following very positive evaluations from that contribution, the Victims Commissioner invited the project team to co-organise two high profile conferences on dealing with the past (February 2014) and remedies for victims (October 2014). 2. The purpose of the conference on dealing with the past was to capture a range of views from groups and individuals. It was designed as a consultative event, with the feedback and views from delegates being used by the Commission to inform this advice. There were 251 individual delegates at the conference from across the victims and survivors sector including groups and service deliverers, statutory agencies, members of the Victims and Survivors Forum and individuals. McEvoy delivered a plenary address at the conference critiquing the content of the Haass proposals and members of the project team led workshops on truth (Mallinder), reparations (Moffett), acknowledgment (McEvoy), and justice (Anthony). Each of these sessions was facilitated by mediators from Healing Through Remembering. The conference was given widespread media coverage. In addition, organised a separate post-conference briefing dinner for the negotiating teams for the five parties in the Northern Ireland Executive participating in talks on dealing with the past as well as representatives from the British and Irish governments. 3. The subsequent advice given by the Commission to OFMDFM drew heavily on the team's contributions. 4. In October 2014 the project team with co-organised another major conference with the CVSNI entitled 'Remedying the Past, Healing for the Future'. One of the teams which emerged as unaddressed from the previous events was the issue of reparations for victims. This conference aimed to encourage an informed discussion around how tangible measures could be used to improve the quality of life for victims and survivors. The keynote speech was delivered by Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade, a Brazilian judge at the International Court of Justice, former President and judge of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and a professor of international law. Judge Cançado Trindade is widely acknowledged as the jurist who has done most to advance international law in this field. The conference also included input from the project team, victims and survivors from across the political spectrum and local practitioners working on dealing with past. The conference was attended by 150 persons and was covered in the local print and broadcast media. A panel in the morning brought together local practitioners to highlight issues affecting victims and survivors and to discuss appropriate remedies for dealing with the past. An afternoon workshop enabled conference participants to discuss the potential benefits and limitations of material and symbolic reparations; the kind of remedies that could be appropriate for Northern Ireland and the potential role for apologies and acknowledgement. This discussion informed a panel session after lunch, where conference attendees engaged in a conversation with academics on the experiences of remedies in other locations and their applicability to Northern Ireland. Following the conference the Commission will be working closely with the event partners to produce a comprehensive conference report.
Start Year 2013
 
Description Commission for Victims and Survivors 
Organisation Commission for Victims and Survivors
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution As detailed below in relation to the collaboration outcomes, the project team participated and co-organised a number of events with the Commission for Victims and Survivors. In doing so, the research team helped to decide the subject matter of the events, contributed to outreach strategies, and through our intellectual insights contributed to the informed policy outcomes that result.
Collaborator Contribution Through working with the Commission for Victims and Survivors, the project team were able to engage with victims and victim organisations from across the territory of Northern Ireland and across the political spectrum. This is significant as many of the victims from a Unionist or Loyalist background are traditionally resistant to discussions of amnesty and transitional justice. In addition, through working with the Commission the project team were able to contribute directly to policy papers on dealing with the past.
Impact The Commission for Victims and Survivors is the statutory body tasked with safeguarding the needs and interests of victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland conflict. One of its key duties has been to provide formal advice to the First and Deputy First Minister on dealing with the past. Over the lifetime of the AHRC follow on project the project team have developed a close working relationship with the CVSNI including participating in a workshop and co-organising two major conferences. 1. Following an invite to address a workshop on the theme of Historical Investigations and Information Recovery that was attended by over 56 participants from across the victims' sector. Prof McEvoy presented on Amnesties, Prosecutions and the Public Interest (14 February 2013). Following very positive evaluations from that contribution, the Victims Commissioner invited the project team to co-organise two high profile conferences on dealing with the past (February 2014) and remedies for victims (October 2014). 2. The purpose of the conference on dealing with the past was to capture a range of views from groups and individuals. It was designed as a consultative event, with the feedback and views from delegates being used by the Commission to inform this advice. There were 251 individual delegates at the conference from across the victims and survivors sector including groups and service deliverers, statutory agencies, members of the Victims and Survivors Forum and individuals. McEvoy delivered a plenary address at the conference critiquing the content of the Haass proposals and members of the project team led workshops on truth (Mallinder), reparations (Moffett), acknowledgment (McEvoy), and justice (Anthony). Each of these sessions was facilitated by mediators from Healing Through Remembering. The conference was given widespread media coverage. In addition, organised a separate post-conference briefing dinner for the negotiating teams for the five parties in the Northern Ireland Executive participating in talks on dealing with the past as well as representatives from the British and Irish governments. 3. The subsequent advice given by the Commission to OFMDFM drew heavily on the team's contributions. 4. In October 2014 the project team with co-organised another major conference with the CVSNI entitled 'Remedying the Past, Healing for the Future'. One of the teams which emerged as unaddressed from the previous events was the issue of reparations for victims. This conference aimed to encourage an informed discussion around how tangible measures could be used to improve the quality of life for victims and survivors. The keynote speech was delivered by Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade, a Brazilian judge at the International Court of Justice, former President and judge of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and a professor of international law. Judge Cançado Trindade is widely acknowledged as the jurist who has done most to advance international law in this field. The conference also included input from the project team, victims and survivors from across the political spectrum and local practitioners working on dealing with past. The conference was attended by 150 persons and was covered in the local print and broadcast media. A panel in the morning brought together local practitioners to highlight issues affecting victims and survivors and to discuss appropriate remedies for dealing with the past. An afternoon workshop enabled conference participants to discuss the potential benefits and limitations of material and symbolic reparations; the kind of remedies that could be appropriate for Northern Ireland and the potential role for apologies and acknowledgement. This discussion informed a panel session after lunch, where conference attendees engaged in a conversation with academics on the experiences of remedies in other locations and their applicability to Northern Ireland. Following the conference the Commission will be working closely with the event partners to produce a comprehensive conference report.
Start Year 2013
 
Description Committee on the Administration of Justice 
Organisation Committee on the Administration of Justice
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution In mid-2014 the project team joined with local human rights non-governmental organisation, the Committee on the Administration of Justice, to work on a project on dealing with the past supported by the QUB Business Alliance Fund and the QUB Collaborative Development Fund. The first output from this collaboration was a report detailing the limitations of existing dealing with the past mechanisms - the Apparatus of Impunity launched at Queen's in January 2015. The second major output is the model 'Dealing with the Past' Bill. The model bill includes provisions on four new institutions that are envisaged in the Stormont House Agreement.
Collaborator Contribution Staff from the Committee on the Administration of Justice contributed to all stages of the development, drafting and dissemination of the Model Bill and Treaty.
Impact Model Bill and Treaty Conference on the drafting of the model bill Conference report Launch event for the publication of the model bill Series of blogs on the Stormont House Agreement A launch event in the House of Parliament Westminster Media coverage of the project events
Start Year 2014
 
Description Partnership with Healing Through Remembering 
Organisation Healing Through Remembering
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The PI Professor McEvoy enhanced Healing through Remembering's technical capacity by preparing two reports to be used by members and the public in engaging with issues on dealing with the past. The first of these report provided an overview of the current top down legal, political, and statutory approaches in dealing with the past. The second report to be published in late 2014 concentrates on the more specific issues raised by amnesties and truth recovery process of apologies and acknowledgements.
Collaborator Contribution Throughout the project the academic team worked closely with Healing through Remembering, who were invaluable in organising meetings with key stakeholders, facilitating roundtables and conferences, as well as disseminating knowledge produced through the knowledge transfer process.
Impact Kieran McEvoy, 'Dealing with the Past? An Overview of Political and Legal Approaches relating to the Conflict in and About Northern Ireland' (Healing Through Remembering, 2013) http://www.healingthroughremembering.org/images/uploads/HTR_Dealing_with_the_Past_-_Legal_and_Political_Approaches_Report.pdf All project conferences were jointly organised by the academic team and Healing Through Remembering.
Start Year 2012
 
Description 'Verifying Information at the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval', RightsNI (17 April 2015) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This blog post outlined possible models of information recovery that could shape the design of the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval. It was designed to help inform policymakers who are designing these institutions and other practitioners who are seeking to feed into the policymaking process. The blog post was shared with the main policy actors (NI Department of Justice, the Northern Ireland Office and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs). It was also widely retweeted on social media.

The models outlined in the blog post helped inform the thinking of the team drafting the model legislation and they also helped to inform policymakers on possible design choices.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
URL http://rightsni.org/2015/04/verifying-information-at-the-independent-commission-on-information-retri...
 
Description 2014 CVS Dealing with Past conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Type Of Presentation workshop facilitator
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The project team coorganised a conference with the Commission for Victims and Survivors on 'Dealing with the Past' (February 2014). The team members led workshops on the four streams of truth (Mallinder), justice (Anthony), acknowledgement (McEvoy), and reparations (Moffett). Over 250 delegates attended and the workshop presentation sparked detailed discussion among participants. In addition, McEvoy delivered a key note address outlining the terms of the Haass proposals. This presentation and the conference as a whole received substantial media coverage.

The discussions informed a report submitted by the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors to advise the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on dealing with the past. After the conference, the project team briefed members of the Haass-O'Sullivan negotiation teams and representatives of the Irish government on the discussions at the conference. In addition, after this successful collaboration, the CVS partnered with the project team in organising the Remedies conference in Octob
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.cvsni.org/index.php/media-centre/dealing-with-the-past
 
Description Amnesty, Prosecution & Public Interest Team Meet UN Rapporteur, Pablo de Greiff 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Professor Kieran McEvoy, Professor Louise Mallinder and Dr Luke Moffett in November 2015 met with UN human rights expert, Pablo de Greiff at Queen's University.

They were joined by ten other transitional justice scholars who wished to explore with de Greiff current efforts to address the legacy of the Northern Ireland conflict."With the adoption of the Stormont House Agreement in 2014, important new opportunities were created to address the 'legacy issues' of the Northern Ireland conflict," said the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence.
Mr. de Greiff, who is visiting at the invitation of the United Kingdom government, is also scheduled to meet, at both the national and devolved levels, with Government officials, representatives of the legislative and judicial branches, law enforcement officials, a broad range of victims and civil society actors.He intends to hold hold a press conference in London on 18 November 2015 at which preliminary findings and recommendations will be presented. A final report on the visit will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2016.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description Anthony presentation to Scottish Public Law Group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Gordon Anthony gave a presentation entitled 'The Haass Proposals: Public Law Issues' to the Annual Conference of the Scottish Public Law Group, Edinburgh 9 June 2014. This Group was launched in February 2008 as a forum in which academics, advocates, solicitors and government lawyers can meet and discuss matters of topical interest in public law in Scotland. The talk sparked considerable discussion and questions from the legal practitioners and scholars who were present.

This talk contributed to a journal article on the same theme.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.advocates.org.uk/downloads/course_40294_attachment_T:%5CCPD%5CCPD%20Accredited%20Events%5...
 
Description Appearance on BBC NI TV Programme The View Discussing themes in the research McKay (November 2013) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact provoked discussion on programme

led to discussion on twitter
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Belfast Telegraph coverage of launch of project output: 'Expert urges pragmatism on truth' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Belfast Telegraph coverage of launch of the Healing Through Remembering report on 'Dealing with the Past in Northern Ireland : An Overview of Legal and Political Approaches' (Healing Through Remembering 2013) authored by Kieran McEvoy and produced as an output of the report. The article quotes from an interview with Prof McEvoy.

The article publicised the report and shared its key recommendations with the public.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
URL http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/expert-urges-pragmatism-on-tr...
 
Description Blog: Amnesties and Archives: Evaluating the Attorney General's Proposals 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact This is an invited post by Moffett, Mallinder and McEvoy to a blog run by Amnesty International and the Committee for the Administration of Justice for an audience that are in interested in human rights issues in Northern Ireland.

This post was retweeted on multiple occasions
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
URL http://rightsni.org/2013/11/amnesties-and-archives-evaluating-the-attorney-general's-proposals
 
Description Blog: Amnesties, Prosecutions and Civil Litigation 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact This blog explores the relationship between amnesties, prosecutions and civil litigation in dealing with the past in Northern Ireland.

The blog was written in response to questions raised in our private briefings.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://blogs.qub.ac.uk/amnesties/files/2014/02/Civil-litigation.pdf
 
Description Blog: Amnesties, Prosecutions and Reparations 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact The third in a series of three blogs analysing the relationship of amnesties and prosecutions to the rights of victims of gross violations of human rights. The blogs are hosted on RightsNI.org, an online arena for people from or connected to Northern Ireland interested in discussing current human rights based issues.

This blog was retweeted a number of times.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://rightsni.org/2014/02/amnesties-prosecutions-and-reparations/
 
Description Blog: Amnesties, Prosecutions and Victims' Right to Justice 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact The second in a series of three blogs analysing the relationship of amnesties and prosecutions to the rights of victims of gross violations of human rights. The blogs are hosted on RightsNI.org an online arena for people from or connected to Northern Ireland interested in discussing current human rights based issues.

This blog was retweeted a number of times.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://rightsni.org/2014/02/amnesties-prosecutions-and-victims-right-to-justice/
 
Description Blog: Legal Position on Amnesties and the Duty to Prosecute 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact This blog by Kieran McEvoy and Luke Moffett outlines the legal position on amnesties and the duty to prosecute. It was published on the Eamonn Mallie blog, which is one of the key political blogs in Northern Ireland.



Article was cited in much of the subsequent commentary at conferences and public events
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012
URL http://eamonnmallie.com/2012/09/the-legal-position-on-amnesties-and-the-duty-to-prosecute/
 
Description Conference on the Model Bill and Treaty 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact A joint conference was organised by Amnesty International, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), the Institute of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice Queens University Belfast (QUB) and the Transitional Justice Institute Ulster University which took place on Monday 18 May 2015. At the conference a Model Implementation Bill was introduced for public discussion and consultation. The event was attended by senior negotiators representing the Northern Ireland Office, the Irish Government and the main political parties in Northern Ireland; representatives of the key victims' NGOs; members of the local Gender Principles group; and a wide cross-section of academics, journalists and civil society actors
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description Expert evidence to Irish Parliament 'Legacy Issues and Victims/Survivors of Violence: Benchmarks for Legitimacy in the SHA Legislation. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Expert legal analysis on legacy issues related to pending legislation on dealing with the past. Presentation and report also referred to role of lawyers in same.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Feature Article McEvoy, Irish Times 'Amnesties have role in North's reconciliation' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact McEvoy published this op-ed in the Irish Times on 6 October 2013. The piece sparked considerable public debate. For example, on 6 November 2013, Brian Feeney, a political columnist with the Irish News and a leading nationalist commentator and frequent broadcaster on Northern Ireland affairs, published a response piece entitled: 'Political aims obstruct dealing with the past'. This article appeared in Irish News (6 Nov 2013). In addition, Brian Walker, referred to this article in a post one of Northern Ireland's leading political blogs, 'From lawyers to Haass. No truth recovery without a conditional amnesty', Slugger O'Toole blog (31 Oct 2013) http://sluggerotoole.com/2013/10/31/from-lawyers-t o-haass-no-truth-recovery-without-a-conditional-am nesty/

This article was part of our media campaign in relation to the Haass negotiations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Feature Article McKay Fabric of compromise can be used to weave future of hope in North, Irish Independent 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Provoked commentary on newspaper website

Became a reference point in future discussions
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Feature Article McKay Irish Independent Call to halt Troubles inquiries is an insult to families of dead, 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Provoked commentary on newspaper website

None
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Feature Article McKay, 'Any talk of compromise with traditional enemy is a red rag to unionists' Irish Times 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Provoked commentary on newspaper website

Became a reference point in future discussions
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Feature Article McKay, Northern Ireland's peace is haunted by ghosts who will not be silenced, The Guardian 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact provoked debate on newspaper website

Became a reference point in future discussions
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Feature Article in Belfast Telegraph 'Is the price of an amnesty for the security forces just too high to contemplate?' June 19th 2017 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This was a feature article on the legality of amnesties in dealing with the past and implications of same for the peace process
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Feature Article in the Guardian 'Investigations into the Troubles are vital - and that includes ex-soldiers.' 11th May 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This was a feature article in the guardian newspaper addressing key issues related to dealing with the past in Northern Ireland concerning viability of an amnesty for soldiers and its relationship to truth recovery.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Feature article in Belfast Telegraph 'Stormont legacy issues impasse can be overcome with legal imagination.' 5th April 2017 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This was a feature article in the main Unionist paper in Northern Ireland proposed some legally imaginative solutions to the political impass on dealing with the past
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Feature newspaper article in the Irish Times The Legacy of the Troubles and the Law March 30th 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This was a feature article in the Irish Times, the most respected broadsheet newspaper in Ireland on the role of lawyers and law in dealing with the past in Northern Ireland
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Human Rights, Legacy and Cultures of Violence in Northern Ireland. Plenary address at Conference, Hebrew University Law School 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact This was an invited plenary address on the role of lawyers in engaging in research and activism on dealing with the past.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Interview with 'The Newsletter', a Northern Irish newspaper with a predominantly Unionist and rural readership 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact The interview took place as part of a conference organised by the Transitional Justice Institute with Christian Aid, which brought together delegates from 15 countries affected by conflict. Louise Mallinder also led a workshop at the conference on amnesties, accountability and the rule of law.

The readership of this newspaper is for the most part resistant to discussions of amnesties as part of the Northern Irish peace process. It is therefore significant that the newspaper chose to publish part of the interview with Louise in this article.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/regional/video-ulster-peace-process-still-a-model-for-others-1-6395...
 
Description Interview with NVTV (16 September 2015) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The interview was part of the dissemination strategy for the launch of the model legislation. The interview provided the opportunity for Prof Mallinder to discuss in detail the team's approach to the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval.

The interview was broadcast as part of a programme featuring on the launch event.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description Interview with the Frank Mitchell show, U105 on the Stormont House Agreement (18 May 2015) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The interview was part of our media dissemination strategy for the May 2015 conference on the draft legislation to implement the Stormont House Agreement.

The dissemination strategy for this conference resulted in the project team receiving feedback on our draft legislation which we then fed into our drafting process.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description Invited Article for CAJ Just News 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Invited Article for the monthly newsletter of the Committee of the Administration of Justice (CAJ), Northern Ireland's leading human rights non-governmental organisation, Aug 2013. Article by Luke Moffett is entitled 'Amnesties and Prosecutions in Northern Ireland'.

The Just News magazine is distributed to all members of CAJ.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
URL http://www.caj.org.uk/files/2013/09/06/JustNews_August2013.pdf
 
Description Launch of the model bill and treaty 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The final Model implementation bill was launched on 16 September 2015, amended following discussion and feedback at the conference in May. There was significant local media coverage of this event.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description Mallinder Interview for BBC Northern Ireland television documentary 'Spotlight' on the On-the-Runs 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Interview for BBC Northern Ireland television documentary 'Spotlight' on the On-the-Runs, 25 Mar 2014

Following this talk, Mallinder received other media requests.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Mallinder interview for BBC Northern Ireland television documentary 'The View' on limited immunity 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Interviewee for BBC Northern Ireland television documentary 'The View' on limited immunity, 12 Dec 2013

The View is one of the leading politics shows in Northern Ireland. This interview contributes to public debate regarding whether the administrative process for the On-the-Runs constituted an amnesty. Mallinder argued that it did not. This understanding was later endorsed by the findings of the Hallett review.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Mallinder interview for UTV View from Stormont (2017) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Mallinder participated in a recorded television interview for UTV's View from Stormont on dealing with the past in Northern Ireland (broadcast 6 February 2017). Also appeared on the UTV website (6 February 2017) http://www.itv.com/news/utv/2017-02-06/former-hunger-striker-calls-for-no-more-conflict-related-jail-sentences/
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.itv.com/utvprogrammes/view-from-stormont
 
Description Mallinder interview with BBC Radio Ulster Talkback programme on International Practice on Amnesties 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Invited interview on the Talkback show on BBC Radio Ulster in response to the Northern Ireland Attorney General's call for a legislative stay on prosecutions.

Mallinder was invited to do this interview to give some international perspectives on the Attorney General's proposals for a stay on prosecutions for conflict-related offences.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Mallinder interview with NVTV for legislation project (2016) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Mallinder recorded television interview with NVTV on the launch of the Model Bill to implement the Stormont House Agreement. This was broadcast as part of a seven-minute segment Focal Point (broadcast 17 September 2015)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
URL http://www.nvtv.co.uk/on-demand
 
Description Mallinder interview with the Belfast Telegraph: 'Could the probe into Baha Mousa's Death be a Key to a Haass deal?' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Interview with Liam Clarke from the Belfast Telegraph. This interview related to our submission to the Haass process on Models of Truth, Amnesty and Prosecution. The resulting article was entitled 'Could the probe into Baha Mousa's Death be a Key to a Haass deal?' 10 Dec 2013.

As noted in the public policy section, our intervention into the peace negotiations setting out models for linking truth, amnesty and prosecution heavily influenced the context of the draft agreement.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
URL http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/could-the-probe-into-baha-mou...
 
Description Mallinder presentation in Bogota 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Mallinder was invited to present a paper on 'Justice and Impunity in the Northern Ireland Transition' at the Forums about Culture of Peace and Transitional Justice: The Right to Justice, in Bogota, Colombia (16 September 2014). The forum brought together 400 delegates from among victims groups, civil society, policymakers, legal professionals, academics and the armed forces. The purpose of the event was to solicit views from these stakeholders to transmit to the negotiation teams in the Havana peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas. Mallinder was invited to present on Northern Ireland in order to encourage reflection on in best practice and challenges faced by a democratic states seeking to pursue transitional justice. The presentation sparked considerable discussion during the panel and afterwards during the conference.

After Mallinder's talk, she was invited to private meetings with the transitional justice team in the Office of the President, the transitional justice team in the Ministry of Justice, and the Director of Public Prosecution Strategies in the Fiscalia. These meetings provided an opportunity for key local actors in Colombia to ask more focused questions on the Northern Ireland experience. These meetings have been followed by correspondence. In addition, following the conference, the organisers requested a copy of Mallinder's presentation to distribute. Mallinder has also been invited to attend subsequent workshops in Colombia.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Mallinder presentation on Haass-O'Sullivan proposals for Women's Resource and Development Agency conference. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Mallinder presented on the Haass-O'Sullivan proposals at the 'Haass-O'Sullivan Talks: What do Women Think?' roundtable organised in Belfast by the Women's Resource and Development Agency (WRDA), the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland and the National Women's Council of Ireland (March 2014). Over 120 women attended the event. The presentation was well-received and was followed by questions and requests that the slides be distributed. It also received favourable coverage in the Irish News newspaper (see Fionnuala O'Connor, 'Fumbles and Fury help "disguise" letters truth' Irish News (4 Mar 2014)). In this article, the journalist recounted the following: 'In a lively Belfast conference last Saturday (feebly chaired by me) organised by the Women's Resource and Development Agency to discover "what women think" of "Haass-O'Sullivan", what was clearest was their diversity, that many felt left out, but also baffled. The star was youthful Dr Louise Mallinder, of the UU's transitional Justice Institute, with a jargon-free version of the proposals. It felt mean to be the reminder that they are now shelved. But the OTRs didn't feature.'

The presentation led to an invitation to write an op-ed for Open Democracy on the Haass-O'Sullivan proposals as part of a series on women in peace building. It also led to an invitation to a private meeting with the North South Secretariat.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.wrda.net/Documents/HaassOSullivanWorkshopReport.pdf
 
Description Mallinder presentation on amnesties and the European Convention on Human Rights 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Mallinder was invited to present on Amnesties and the European Convention on Human Rights in Belfast, 6 November 2014. The presentation was part of a high profile conference attended by the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe (COE) which focused on the obligations created by Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The talk drew upon the report produced by this project and sparked considerable discussion afterwards.

The conference was attended by 150 delegates including representations of the British and Irish governments, Northern Ireland government departments, civil society groups and victims. In his remarks to conclude the conference, the COE High Rights Commissioner said he had learnt a lot from the presentation on amnesties and he reiterated several of the key points from the presentation. His staff asked for a copy of the presentation and the report, and they said they would be in touch for closer cooperation. Mallinder also received requests for the presentation and follow up meetings from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and the Northern Ireland Department of Justice.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://amnesties-prosecution-public-interest.co.uk/themainevent/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Amnesties...
 
Description Mallinder studio interview for UTV View from Stormont (broadcast 13 March 2017) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Mallinder participated in a studio discussion for UTV's View from Stormont on inclusive participation in negotiations on the dealing with the past (broadcast 13 March 2017). While the segment was on air, Mallinder was contacted via Twitter by the Deputy Chair of the SDLP political party asking for more information on the possible models of inclusion. Mallinder shared this information with him following the broadcast.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.itv.com/utvprogrammes/view-from-stormont/view-from-stormont-episode-18
 
Description Mallinder: Blog on RightsNI on independence and information verification 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Blog post on RightsNI that responded to leaks related to the government's draft legislation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
URL http://rightsni.org/2015/10/independence-inadmissibility-and-information-verification-in-the-indepen...
 
Description Mallinder: Blog on RightsNI on the ICIR 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Blog post on the main human rights blog in Northern Ireland. It was intended to set out a public position for the project on a complex technical issue in the negotiation and by doing so to influence the negotiations. It is difficult to distinguish the impact of this blog from the wider impacts of the project. The project was highly influential on efforts to implement the past-related aspects of the Stormont House Agreement.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
URL http://rightsni.org/2015/04/verifying-information-at-the-independent-commission-on-information-retri...
 
Description McEvoy Interview with BBC Radio Ulster, Good Morning Ulster on Haass negotiations 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Interview with BBC Radio Ulster, Good Morning Ulster on Haass negotiations

We are not aware of any notable impacts of this one interview.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description McEvoy Interview with Eddie Mair, lead story, PM programme on BBC Radio 4 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact McEvoy Interview with Eddie Mair, lead story, PM programme on BBC Radio 4 in response to the Attorney General's proposals on unconditional amnesty in Northern Ireland, 21 Nov 2013

This is one of the most listened to politics radio shows in the UK and the interview disseminated information about the project to the rest of the UK.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description McEvoy gave evidence US Congressional Hearing on Dealing with the Past in Northern Ireland, March 2015 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Professor Kieran McEvoy, addressed a US Congress Hearing on Human Rights in Northern Ireland in March 2015.

He spoke about accountability, justice and reconciliation in the context of current efforts to deal with the past in Northern Ireland.

Fellow panelists included Geraldine Finucane (widow of murdered human rights lawyer, Pat Finucane) and journalist Anne Cadwallader (author of 'Lethal Allies: British Collusion in Ireland).

A recording of the live proceedings can be accessed here. (Coverage commences at 56.00).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description McEvoy interview for BBC Radio Ulster, Good Morning Ulster programme on Victims and Dealing on the Past 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Interview for BBC Radio Ulster, Good Morning Ulster programme on Victims and Dealing on the Past. Comments were live tweeted by the BBC e.g. https://twitter.com/BBCgmu/status/403791964627156992

We are not aware of any notable impacts from this particular interview.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description McEvoy presentation at Poisonous Legacies: Dealing with the Past and Prosecutions 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact McEvoy participated in the two-day 'Poisonous Legacies' conference organised by the Bloody Sunday Trust and Pat Finucane Centre based in Derry/Londonderry to mark the anniversary of the publishing of the report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry (June 2013). Professor McEvoy gave two plenary addresses on the issues of amnesty/prosecution and truth recovery.

The event was attended by over 200 people.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description McEvoy's oral evidence to House of Commons Defence Select Committee, March 2017 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact On 7 March 2017, Prof McEvoy gave evidence to the UK House of Commons Defence Select Committee as part of a panel of academics. The hearing focused on investigations into fatalities involving British service personnel during 'the Troubles'. The hearing was live streamed and received extensive media coverage in the Northern Irish press.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/defence-committee/news-pa...
 
Description Private Briefings with Key Stakeholders 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact As outlined in our funding application a central part of our methodology was to hold private briefings with key stakeholders. We had initially planned to hold 20 of these meetings but we considerably exceeded this target. From late November 2012 to the end of December 2013, we held a total of 35 private briefings with key local stakeholders, including 27 with local civil society groups, criminal justice agencies, victim organisations, ex-prisoner groups, government departments, and representatives of the Irish government. These meetings culminated in seven further private bilateral meetings with the main political parties, the Haass-O'Sullivan team, senior representatives from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and the Northern Ireland Office. Many of these meetings coincided with the unsuccessful negotiations surrounding the Panel of the Parties of the Northern Ireland Executive negotiations on parades, flags and dealing with the past. However, such meetings and briefings continued in 2014 following the failure of those discussions to reach agreement.

These meetings were useful for disseminating our findings from our previous research project, building and deepening relationships with key stakeholders, enhancing the project team's understanding of how our theoretical concepts apply within Northern Ireland and of the practical challenges faced by those working on dealing with the past in this region. In addition to enhancing knowledge of all participants, these private briefings fed into the other aspects of the project. For example, 1. Questions asked in the briefings helped to us identify the issues to explore in the written project outputs (i.e. blogs, op-eds and reports) 2. Helped to build relationships that encouraged the project participants to participate in the public events 3. Through these private meetings we were able to build momentum that enable us to have broad access across the political spectrum in Northern Ireland. For example, following meeting the project team, the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association encouraged Unionist politicians that they should also meet the team.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012,2013,2014
 
Description Professor Kieran McEvoy Delivers 36th Annual William Nash Memorial Lecture 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Professor Kieran McEvoy delivered the 36th Annual William Nash Memorial Lecture at Campion College, University of Regina, Canada on 23 February 2016.

His lecture was entitled 'Truth, Justice & Reconciliation: Dealing with the Past in Northern Ireland'.

He began by providing a brief analysis of the background to conflict in Northern Ireland and the development of the Peace Process in the course of the last two decades.

The main body of the lecture then set current attempts to 'Deal with the Past' in context - looking in turn at 'critical junctures' such as the Good Friday Agreement, the Consultative Group on the Past, the Haass-O'Sullivan negotiations and, more recently, the Stormont House Agreement.

In the final analysis he spoke to wider themes concerning justice, truth and reconciliation and concluded with consideration of the political will, resources, legal imagination and tenacity required to deliver a sustainable 'deal' on 'dealing with the past'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://campioncollege.ca/academics/nash-memorial-lecture-series/nash-memorial-lectures/36th-annual-n...
 
Description Professor McEvoy Addresses Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) Annual Party Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Professor Kieran McEvoy addressed the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) Annual party conference on 10th October 2015 on the theme of 'Dealing with the Past in Northern Ireland.' Professor McEvoy offered a strong critique of the national security provisions contained in the recently leaked version of the draft Northern Ireland (Stormont House Agreement) Bill 2015. Other speakers who addressed the conference including PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton, victims campaigner Jude Whyte, Irish Congress of Trade Unions leader Peter Bunting and Director of the Ex-Prisoner Interpretive Centre Tom Roberts.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description Project team co-host 2014 Remedying the Past Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Type Of Presentation workshop facilitator
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The project team organised, in collaboration with the Commission for Victims and Survivors, a one-day conference on 'Remedying the Past, Healing for the Future'. The conference featured a keynote address by Judge Cançado Trindade of the International Court of Justice, as well as presentations by local representatives of victims' organisations and the project team members (October 2014). Moffett delivered a keynote address outlining international standards on reparations. McEvoy and Mallinder participated in a panel responding to questions about international experiences of reparations in post-conflict societies. Healing Through Remembering members facilitated the workshop sessions of the conference.

The conference stimulated considerable discussion on reparations and it will lead to a joint report with the Commission for Victims and Survivors in 2015.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://amnesties-prosecution-public-interest.co.uk/conferences/remedying-past-2014/
 
Description Response piece on submission to Haass negotiations on models of truth recovery: Slugger O'Toole blog (19 Dec 2013) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Our submission to the Haass negotiations on models of truth recovery led to this response authored by Brian Walker, 'On Dealing with the Past, A Hard Sell on Impunity should not rule out cooperation with historians', Slugger O'Toole blog (19 Dec 2013)

This article and the comments demonstrate how our project outputs have helped to shape public debate in Northern Ireland.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
URL http://sluggerotoole.com/2013/12/19/on-dealing-with-the-past-a-hard-sell-on-immunity-should-not-rule...
 
Description Visit to TJI by delegation from Kosovo 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact In April 2014, the Transitional Justice Institute (TJI) welcomed a delegation of civil society activists and policymakers from Kosovo. Their visit to TJI was part of a study visit to Northern Ireland to learn about the region's experiences of transitional justice. As part of a programme of events at TJI, Mallinder outlined and evaluated the contents of the proposed Haass-O'Sullivan Agreement on Parades, Flags and Dealing with the Past. The talk was followed by a discussion with the participants.

Following their visit to TJI, the delegation wrote to confirm how all the presentations had enhanced their knowledge and understanding of the Northern Irish experience and provided them with insights to apply in their work in Kosovo.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Westminster event on the Model Bill and Treaty 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact A roundtable was held at Westminster in October 2015 to brief Labour, Conservative and Northern Ireland MPs on the key issues addressed by the Model Bill and Treaty and to discuss future lobbying tactics.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015