Petition · past parliament

Immediately repeal the "Comfort letters" issued to on the run paramilitaries

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

The documents issued by the then British Government under the terms of the Good Friday agreement have created a two tier justice system in Northern Ireland. This should not be permitted to continue.

Why it was rejected

It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.

We're not sure what you mean by "repeal the "Comfort letters". The then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland made a statement to the House of Commons on 9 September 2014 explaining that the scheme is at an end and these letters should not be relied on. We're therefore not sure what further action you'd like the Government to take.

You can read the full statement here:

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2014-09-09/debates/14090934000002/HallettReport


Timeline

19 Dec 2016 Petition opened for signatures
19 Apr 2017 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21
Status Rejected
Rejected 19 Apr 2017

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.