17 December 2025
In response to today’s Supreme Court judgment, the SDLP has warned the UK Government that continued suppression of information by the security services will undermine new legacy structures before they begin.
The SDLP is calling on the UK Government to urgently review the definition of sensitive disclosure and its “neither confirm nor deny” (NCND) policy, which the party says is being used to obstruct the release of information relating to collusion, the mishandling of agents and the crimes of loyalist and republican killers.
Commenting on today’s judgment, SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP said:
“Today’s judgment will embolden those within the security services who seek to suppress information about the handling of agents and intelligence during the Troubles.
“Operation Kenova has exposed some of the consequences of the dirty war. Only by being open about these failures can the security services be held accountable and learn from their past actions.
“If any future Troubles-related investigatory body is to function effectively, command public confidence, and carry real authority, it must operate under a disclosure regime that is open and transparent. It must recognise that policing and security practices have changed, and that embarrassment over past failures is not a legitimate reason to suppress the truth.”