Delivery of the report by the Eames-Bradley group examining the legacy of the Troubles was hampered this morning by a series of vocal protests.
Groups representing victims of IRA violence clashed loudly with some relatives of those who died at the hands of the police and the British army at the launch of the report in Belfast.
Placard-carrying unionist protesters, outraged at some of the proposals made by the Consultative Group on the Past, demonstrated before the platform as former Policing Board vice-chairman Denis Bradley and former Church of Ireland Archbishop Lord (Robin) Eames were about to deliver their findings.
Chief among their concerns was the proposal to offer £12,000 to each family bereaved in the Troubles as recognition of their loss.
The payment is to be offered to all families regardless of the circumstances of how their loved ones died.
The protesters, one of whom wore his Orange Order collarette were representing mostly loyalist victims. They argued with a relatives group from west Belfast whose family members were shot by British soldiers.
A former unionist member of the Stormont Assembly singled out Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams in the audience and protested that he was responsible for acts of violence.
Mr Adams sat quietly as Cedric Wilson made a series of protests against the IRA campaign and demanded an end to "terrorists in government" and Sinn Féin's participation in the new policing and justice arrangements.
The angry exchanges held up the delivery of the Consultative Group's proposals by Lord Eames and Mr Bradley.
In a lengthy and thoughtful address delivered by the two men sought to explain their proposals amid continuing interruptions from unionist protests from the floor.
Lord Eames said their 190-page report which took 18 months to draft had been achieved through "hard work, by taking difficult decisions, and by challenging everyone in society".
He continued: "By asking what sort of future we want and how that can be achieved. We know that one size does not fit all and we are not imposing a one size fits all approach.
"But we are recommending a one stop approach. One package and one framework that people can opt into when they feel it is right for them to do so. One package that offers many different options for individuals and communities."
Mr Bradley said: "A massive section of this report sets out a framework whereby the calls for justice, the pleas for truth, or often both, can be addressed. We have heard your pleas and we say you are right."
Despite constant interruptions he addressed the bereaved directly: "We have proposed the best way that we can construct to deliver justice and truth so that you too can move on.
"It is our best attempt at providing a level playing field for all - an alternative to public inquiries, an alternative to the justice system. These are the only tools currently available but they are not fit for the purpose of dealing with our past conflict and allowing us to move forward in a reconciled way.
He spent some time outlining a key proposal contained in the commission's findings.
"We have proposed a Legacy Commission which will, during its five-year mandate, and through processes of reconciliation, justice and information recovery, promote peace and stability in Northern Ireland."
Mr Bradley equated the £12,000 "recognition payment" to the offering of a handshake and the expressions of regret for "someone's trouble" that a mourner would offer at a wake.
He said the commission accepted such a gesture was "small and pathetic" but "it is the best that we can do".
The money was not intended to compensate, only to take note formally that a family had been bereaved.
The two revealed they have proposed a Reconciliation Forum and Legacy Commission, funded by £100 million from the British and Irish governments.
The Reconciliation Forum would liaise with the Commission for Victims and Survivors for Northern Ireland and would work to tackle society issues relating to the conflict.
It would be supported by a Legacy Commission which would work to combine the processes of reconciliation, justioce and information recovery and also have the "overarching objective of promoting peace and stability in Northern Ireland."
The total estimated cost of the consultative group's proposals, incorporating the recognition payments, the Legacy Commission and the Reconciliation Forum, is around £300 million.
The British government, which has called for quiet consideration of the consultative group's proposals, is expected to give its broad support to the report.