The UK government tabled a package of amendments to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill on Monday 12 October 2026, according to the Northern Ireland Office. The department said the measures would create lasting legal protections for former Armed Forces and police personnel who served during the Troubles, reducing their exposure to repeated investigations.

The amendments would require the Attorney General to consent to all serious Troubles-related prosecutions, acting independently of government. They would also require the Commission to weigh whether compelling new evidence exists before approaching a witness, and would bar former paramilitaries from appointment to the Victims and Survivors Advisory Group while reserving at least one place for a veteran or veterans' representative. Other provisions would state that the Commission and coroners must not treat lawful military conduct as equivalent to paramilitary terrorism, and must consider the operational context soldiers faced.

The government said more than 300,000 armed forces personnel served under Operation Banner over a three-decade period, and nearly 1,800 members of the security services died. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the changes would give veterans permanent protections. The Bill would replace the Legacy Act 2023, whose conditional immunity scheme the government said UK courts found incompatible with human rights obligations.