My Lords, the independence of commissioners will be vital to the success of this commission, and I agree that the confidence of the community, who are the victims and survivors, must be at the heart of any body. But how do we interpret “independent”? The truth is that many outside Northern Ireland have little
or no concept of what has happened in Northern Ireland over the past 50 years. In fact, it is hard for those who have lived through it to understand it fully. Therefore, the independence question is of great importance.
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It is a fact that, when the Secretary of State makes an appointment, he can be scrutinised by Members of this House, but many noble Lords will find it difficult to question appointments made by the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission, because doing so will be misinterpreted by many. Bearing in mind the complexity and history of Northern Ireland, the appointment of such commissioners will be of vital importance.
Therefore, I would like such appointments to have at least the scrutiny of Members of both Houses. Over the years, many commissioners have been appointed to deal with many sensitive issues, but those appointments have been questioned within the community. I come back to the beginning: the independence of commissioners is vital for success.