LONDON — A British government program to inform some potential terrorism suspects that they did not face arrest was flawed but was not an amnesty, according to a report published Thursday that highlighted some of the dilemmas thrown up by Northern Ireland’s peace process.
In a lengthy document, Lady Justice Heather Hallett, appointed earlier this year to look into legal matters arising from the peace process, made scathing criticisms of the scheme. The report also uncovered two new cases in which suspects were wrongly informed that they were not wanted by the police.
The Hallett inquiry was ordered earlier this year after the collapse of the trial of John Downey, who was accused of carrying out a bombing in London in July 1982 in which four British soldiers died.
Downey was one of more than 200 so-called “on the runs” who wanted to clarify their legal status. He was incorrectly informed that he was not wanted by the police. His trial judge described that as a catastrophic error.
The report published Thursday said that the program for “on the runs” lacked proper lines of responsibility, accountability, and safeguards.