Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023

17 Issuing and publication of reports U.K.

(1) This section applies where the Chief Commissioner produces the final report on the findings of a review in accordance with section 15.

(2) If the review was carried out following a request made under section 9 or 10, the Chief Commissioner must—

(a) give the final report to the person who requested the review, and

(b) publish the final report.

(3) If the review was carried out following a decision by the ICRIR under section 12, the Chief Commissioner may publish the final report.

(4) When deciding whether to publish the final report in such a case, the ICRIR must (in particular) take into account the views of—

(a) any relevant family members of any person killed in the relevant event, and

(b) any person who suffered serious physical or mental harm in the relevant event or, where such a person has subsequently died, any relevant family members of the person.

(5) The ICRIR must take such steps as it considers reasonable to identify, and obtain the views of, the persons referred to in subsection (4)(a) and (b).

(6) If a final report is not published in such a case, the Chief Commissioner must publish the statement of the manner in which the review was carried out that is included in the final report in accordance with section 15(3).

(7) It is for the Chief Commissioner to decide the manner in which a final report, or statement of the manner in which a review was carried out, is published.

(8) The Chief Commissioner may give the designated persons under Part 4 summaries of any final reports which are not published.

(9) In this section—

• “relevant event”, in relation to the final report on the findings of a review of a death or other harmful conduct, means the event in which that death, or other harmful conduct, occurred;

• “relevant family member” has the meaning given in Part 2 of Schedule 3.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 17 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 63(4)

I2 S. 17(1)(2)(7) in force at 1.5.2024 by S.I. 2024/584, reg. 2(m) (with regs. 3, 4)