The law involves a conditional amnesty for suspects and bans future inquests and civil actions.
The Troubles was a period of conflict which lasted for 30 years and cost the lives of more than 3,500 peopleConditional immunity from prosecutions for Troubles-era crimes, contained in the UK government's controversial Legacy Act, is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, the High Court in Belfast has ruled.Opponents brought the legal challenge on several grounds.
The Labour MP added: "Given that immunity has always been presented as the central foundation of the Legacy Act, what do ministers intend to do about this judgment, and how can the commission become operational when one of its central powers has just been struck down?"Delivering his ruling, Mr Justice Colton said he was "satisfied that the immunity from prosecution provisions under section 19 of the act are in breach of the lead applicant's rights pursuant to article 2 of the...
"It has wide powers and wide range of discretion to carry out its reviews. Should it fall short of its obligations on articles two and three, I have no doubt they will be subject to the scrutiny of the court," he said.Legal experts have speculated the challenge in the courts could take several years to exhaust, as it could be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court.