The ‘Disappeared,’ the ICLVR, and ‘dealing with the past’ in Northern Ireland

Dr Lauren Dempster (QUB) 2014’s Stormont House Agreement (SHA) states that the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval (ICIR) will build ‘on the precedent provided by the Independent Commission on the Location of Victims’ Remains’. This presentation explores how the Independent Commission for the Location of Victim Remains (ICLVR) mechanism works and why it provides a useful precedent for the development of the ICIR.  It is based on findings from research which explored the response to the ‘disappearances’ that occurred during the conflict in Northern Ireland through a transitional justice lens. The presentation sets out finding that show the ICLVR has been relatively successful, and considers why this is the case. It also considers that, while the mechanism that facilitates information recovery is in itself instructive, further lessons can be learned from the response to the ‘disappearances’ and the ICLVR process for dealing with the past in Northern Ireland. This seminar took place on 18th April 2018 Download: Policy Briefing Presentation