23 October 2025
The conclusion of the trial today, with the acquittal of Soldier F, has once again brought into sharp focus the deep pain and division that events from over 50 years ago continue to cause. At the outset of this trial, I made clear that we should be mindful of the families who lost loved ones on 30th January 1972. These families, just like many others, who had relatives killed because of terrorist actions that same year, and indeed throughout the period of the Northern Ireland Troubles, continue to experience pain at the loss of a loved one.The veteran community in Northern Ireland welcome today’s outcome. Based on precedent and similar legacy court cases, it has become increasingly clear that the admissibility of certain types of evidence, particularly those based on decades old recollections, remains deeply problematic in any fair legal process. Soldier F has faced legal scrutiny in various forms for more than a quarter of a century, and it is my hope that today’s ruling by Judge Lynch, brings that long and arduous process to a close. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank those veterans who have attended throughout this trial to show their support for Soldier F.
Society in Northern Ireland must find a way to deal with legacy issues in a fair and balanced way, one which will not disproportionally focus on the actions of the military or police and distort the historical record of the conflict. It must be remembered that nine out of ten deaths during the Troubles were caused by terrorist organisations and many veterans are rightly concerned that too often legal processes are used to twist the truth, rewrite history and shift focus away from the reality that terrorists, on both sides, were responsible for the conflict and that there was never any justification for their actions.
As Veterans Commissioner, I will continue to advocate for a legacy process that ensures fairness for all and that does not facilitate the wholesale demonisation of those who served, the vast majority of whom did so with restraint and professionalism, with the sole motivation to protect all sections of our community during the turbulent years of our Troubles.
David Johnstone
Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner
Information provided by HIVE NI