On 3rd October 2015 the media leaked a draft bill which was under consideration at the multi-party negotiations for the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement. The draft legislation which had been presented by the British Government to the Implementation Talks concerning the measures to deal with the past, have raised significant concerns regarding the emphasis on state national security as a limitation on disclosure to victims of conflict. The legislation presented has been described as an act of bad faith by the British Government and as a self-serving piece of national security legislation. The legislation brings into sharp relief the significant tension that exists between victims of state and state sponsored violence access and right to disclosure surrounding the circumstances of the killings of their loved ones and on the other hand the British state’s national security interest
This short paper examines the international standards on Freedom of Expression and the right to receive information and the right of states in matters of national security. Disclosure national security and the SHA
