The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2025
- Department: Northern Ireland Office
- Made under: Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023
Legislation amended the transitional provisions deadline within the commencement regulations for the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, pushing the cutoff date for certain criminal investigation processes from late 2025 to April 2026.
These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland using powers under the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, formally amend a previous commencement regulation (S.I. 2024/584).
Specifically, they extend the transitional deadline for investigating bodies to prepare or complete investigation reports or take subsequent actions from October 31, 2025, to April 30, 2026.
Arguments For
Provides necessary logistical time for investigating bodies to complete reports related to historical events in Northern Ireland under the framework established by the 2023 Act.
Ensures that transitional provisions, which govern how ongoing criminal investigations interact with the new legacy mechanism, remain active long enough to manage complex casework effectively.
Arguments Against
Further postponements of implementation dates may raise concerns regarding the swift delivery of resolution or reconciliation promised by the legislation concerning the Troubles.
Repeated amendments to commencement and transitional rules can introduce administrative uncertainty for legal and policing bodies tasked with implementing the original Act.
The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the power conferred by section 63(5) of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.1
The appropriate government minister, the Secretary of State, is creating these regulations.
Authority for making these rules comes directly from Section 63(5) of the primary piece of legislation, the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.
- (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2025.
This clause establishes the official short title for the legal instrument being presented.
The citation identifies these rules as the second amendment concerning the commencement timing and transitional measures related to the 2023 Legacy Act.
- (2) These Regulations come into force on 31st October 2025.
This specifies the exact date when this statutory instrument takes legal effect.
The regulations become active and legally binding on October 31, 2025.
- In regulation 3(2) of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 20242 (transitional provision in relation to criminal investigations), for “31st October 2025” substitute “30th April 2026”.
This is the core operative provision, amending a previous set of regulations from 2024.
It changes the specific date within Regulation 3(2) concerning transitional arrangements for criminal investigations under the Act.
The deadline for completing specific investigative actions is moved from October 31, 2025, to April 30, 2026.
Hilary Benn Secretary of State Northern Ireland Office 29th October 2025
This section records the required signature details, indicating that Hilary Benn, acting as the Secretary of State for the Northern Ireland Office, signed these regulations on October 29, 2025.
EXPLANATORY NOTE (This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2024 (“the 2024 Regulations”). The 2024 Regulations were the second set of commencement regulations made under the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (c. 41).
Regulation 2 of these Regulations amends regulation 3(2) of the 2024 Regulations to extend the period in which an investigating body may prepare or complete an investigation report or do anything subsequent to that. The period was initially set to end on 30th April 2025. It was extended to end on 31st October 2025 by the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/530). Regulation 2 of these Regulations extends it again to end on 30th April 2026.
An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen. An impact assessment has been published in relation to the Act and a copy can be obtained at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62828d60d3bf7f1f40ca508e/EQIA_NI_Troubles__Legacy_and_Reconciliation__Bill.pdf or from the Northern Ireland Office, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ.
The Explanatory Note, which provides context but is not legally binding, clarifies that this instrument modifies the 2024 commencement regulations.
The amendment specifically extends the deadline for investigating bodies to finish reports or related actions under the transitional provisions from October 31, 2025, until April 30, 2026.
This is the second extension, following a previous one granted via S.I. 2025/530.
Because only minor procedural changes are made, no new impact assessment was deemed necessary, though a previous one for the main Act is mentioned.
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