Northern Ireland

Outgoing Commissioner for Victims and Survivors Judith Thompson urges Stormont not to delay in appointing her successor

Judith Thompson's term as Commissioner for Victims and Survivors will end on Monday after five years. Picture by Mal McCann
Judith Thompson's term as Commissioner for Victims and Survivors will end on Monday after five years. Picture by Mal McCann Judith Thompson's term as Commissioner for Victims and Survivors will end on Monday after five years. Picture by Mal McCann

VICTIMS and survivors of Northern Ireland's troubled past must not be left without a voice, the outgoing commissioner has warned.

Judith Thompson's term as Commissioner for Victims and Survivors will end on Monday after five years.

Last week The Irish News reported that the process of appointing Ms Thompson's successor had yet to begin and is expected to take several months to complete.

In her final days in office she has urged the Stormont executive to appoint a new commissioner quickly, to ensure that victims and survivors have a legally constituted voice.

Disagreements over the definition of a victim has delayed a pension for those most seriously injured in the Troubles, while institutions to deal with the past agreed in 2014's Stormont House Agreement remain to be implemented, and a victims and survivors strategy remains in development.

Fresh legacy legislation is expected at Westminster and Ms Thompson has warned that victims need a voice, or risk being left "very short changed".

"There is a network of victims and survivors groups with incredible strength but they are a very wide, diverse range of voices, and you do need one place with no political affiliations to listen to all those voices and try and find a way through it," she told the PA news agency.

Ms Thompson said it was "shameful" that politicians had continually chosen to "make a political stand" when it came to making difficult decisions about delivering for victims.

She said Westminster's legacy legislation was likely to be "significantly different to that which was exhaustively consulted on".

"The result of the secretary of state's announcement in March would leave all bereaved families facing the prospect of a desktop review following which their case would be closed permanently, regardless of any further evidence that could arise – this is not what most victims and survivors would want," she said.

Asked about her view on the lack of agreement over the definition of a victim, and whether former paramilitaries should qualify, Ms Thompson said she recognises there are "equally, genuine and legitimate feelings and beliefs behind all arguments".

"In a place that can be divided you have got to find a point that is uncomfortable but the best way through it that you can, and that's the job of this role," she added.

The outgoing commissioner said legacy has been repeatedly "pushed down the road" and she described seeing the legal victory of the "inspirational" Jennifer McNern forcing action by Stormont over implementing the victims' pension as one of the highlights of her term.

Meanwhile, victims' group Wave Trauma Centre is seeking a meeting with Justice Minister Naomi Long over a payment scheme for the injured.

Ms Long has warned it could take up to 18 months before payments are made, as well as estimating the cost of the scheme at £800 million.

Wave chief executive Sandra Peake questioned the figure and said the majority of those who will qualify for the payments were injured during the 1970s and 1980s and "few will still be receiving a pension in 30 years' time".

In July the Executive Office estimated the scheme would cost £165 million.

Ulster Human Rights Watch (UHRW) is set to ask Ms Long whether interim payments can be made to victims before Christmas.