Under new laws, key parts of inquests into the deaths of people killed by British security forces in Northern Ireland during the Troubles will be held in secret, without the scrutiny of juries.

The revelation has prompted outrage among human rights groups, who have accused the British government of seeking to suppress evidence of collusion between paramilitary organisations and the security forces.

The proposal that some parts of inquests held in England and Wales should be behind closed doors has already been hugely controversial. The plan has been dropped once before, but the government is determined to reintroduce it - despite opposition from the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the House of Lords and its own backbenchers, who are expected to vote against it in the coming weeks.