Paramilitary fugitives may be allowed to return to Northern Ireland under a 'on-the-run' scheme proposed by Secretary Peter Hain, it was confirmed today.
Mr Hain said the legislation would deal with people suspected of terrorism but who have either not faced trial, or escaped prison.
Responding to questions from the DUP's Gregory Campbell at the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee today, Mr Hain said accepted there was anger in Northern Ireland that some Paramilitary murderers had never gone to jail for their offences.
But he said sometimes undesirable things had to be done in the interests of conflict resolution.
He also dismissed any possibility that former paramilitaries could become police community support officers or run restorative justice schemes.
Mr Hain gave the assurances as ministers came under fresh pressure to oppose the creation of such schemes, amid warnings that Sinn Fein ran them as an "alternative" police.
"There is no question at all of paramilitaries going straight into becoming either a police community support officer - if we proceed with them in Northern Ireland - or to running community restorative justice schemes.
"Both will be done in accordance with the rule of law; both will be done, especially in terms of recruiting community support officers, in terms of the normal criteria subject for police recruitment.
Agencies