Afghan detainee wins right to challenge transfer – BBC News
“An Afghan detainee handed over to authorities in the country by British forces has won permission to challenge the legality of his transfer.”
BBC News, 16th May 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: armed forces
Batang Kali massacre hearing due to start at high court – The Guardian
“The government will be challenged in court on Tuesday to investigate the killing by British troops of 24 Malaysian rubber plantation workers more than 60 years ago.”
The Guardian, 7th May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Ex-soldier found guilty of rapes – The Independent
“A former soldier was today convicted of a string of sex attacks during which he told one victim: ‘I don’t believe this, I’m a good-looking bloke’ when she rejected his advances.”
The Independent, 24th April 2012
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Ex-paratrooper Anthony Malone jailed over torture – BBC News
“A former paratrooper has been jailed for eight years for taking part in the kidnap and torture of two brothers after a property deal collapsed.”
BBC News, 3rd April 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Former soldier Aaron Wilkinson cleared of murder – BBC News
“A former soldier who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder when he shot and killed his landlady has been cleared of her murder.”
BBC News, 3rd April 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Four more UK soldiers disciplined after Afghan civilians killed or injured – The Guardian
“Military commanders have disciplined a further four British soldiers accused of killing or wounding Afghan civilians. The disclosures come at a time of heightened tension after a series of incidents involving foreign troops, and the killing on Monday of two British soldiers by a member of the Afghan security forces. The Guardian has learned that a British soldier was given an unspecified punishment after an Afghan was fatally shot in the neck while praying in a field. In other cases, a soldier punched and knocked out an Afghan, and another fired a flare into an Afghan’s face.”
The Guardian, 30th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
AB and others v Ministry of Defence – WLR Daily
AB and others v Ministry of Defence: [2012] UKSC 9; [2012] WLR (D) 79
“Reasonable belief that a claimant’s injury was attributable to an act or omission of the defendant was sufficient to satisfy the requirement of knowledge in sections 11 and 14 of the Limitation Act 1980 for the purpose of determining whether his claim was time-barred.”
WLR Daily, 14th March 2012
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Veterans lose nuclear weapons test damages bid – BBC News
“Hundreds of ex-servicemen exposed to radiation in British nuclear weapons tests have lost a Supreme Court bid to launch damages claims against the MoD.”
BBC News, 14th March 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
GCHQ civilian staff face war crimes charge over drone strikes in Pakistan – The Guardian
“Civilian staff at GCHQ risk being prosecuted for war crimes as a result of a legal action being launched tomorrow over the alleged use of British intelligence in the CIA’s ‘targeted killing’ programme.”
The Guardian, 11th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Conscientious objection in the armed forces – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“After the end of national service in the early 1960s, the creation of a volunteer armed forces led to the issue of conscientious objection in Britain being largely relegated to the annals of history. However, a freedom of information request by The Independent revealed that since 1999 there have been 21 applications from members of the armed forces for discharge on the grounds of conscientious objection.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 7th March 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Army Major given suspended jail term for possession of secret documents – Daily Telegraph
“Major Robert Armstrong, who was awarded the MC for gallantry three years ago, faced a court martial for separate charges, including the possession of secret documents which the judge said could have undermined national security.”
Daily Telegraph, 28th February 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Regina v Gul – WLR Daily
Regina v Gul: [2012] EWCA Crim 280; [2012] WLR (D) 44
“Acts by insurgents against the armed forces of a state anywhere in the world which sought to influence a government and were made for political purposes were acts of terrorism for the purposes of section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000. There was nothing in international law which required the clear terms of the 2000 Act to be read down to exempt those committing such acts from the definition of terrorist in that Act.”
WLR Daily, 22nd February 2012
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
EU directive for crime victims undermines Armed Forces, warns MoD – Daily Telegraph
“The work of the Armed Forces could be undermined by a European Directive that the Coalition has chosen to adopt, the Ministry of Defence has warned.”
Daily Telegraph, 3rd January 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Royal Navy will allow women to serve on submarines – The Guardian
“One of the last barriers to women being treated equally in the armed forces was lifted on Thursday when the Ministry of Defence announced that they will soon be allowed to serve onboard Royal Navy submarines.”
The Guardian, 8th December 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Ministry of Defence agrees to more openness on courts martial – The Guardian
“Bruised by revelations of wrongdoing by British troops, the Ministry of Defence has agreed to be more transparent and provide more information about courts martial and other action taken against members of the armed forces, the Guardian has been told.”
The Guardian, 5th December 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Regina v Lyons – WLR Daily
Regina v Lyons [2011] EWCA Crim 2808; [2011] WLR (D) 345
“A person who, having voluntarily entered military service, sought to be discharged from further service on the ground of conscientious objection was subject to the requirements of military service and military discipline until his claim had been established. The giving of notice of appeal did not justify a refusal to obey a lawful command pending the determination of the appeal.”
WLR Daily, 1st December 2011
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Priest who witnessed Iraqi detention could face prosecution – The Guardian
“The director of public prosecutions has been asked to consider bringing criminal charges against a Roman Catholic priest who was found to have witnessed the shocking condition of a group of prisoners in Iraq, which included Baha Mousa, who was tortured to death, but did nothing to raise the alarm.”
The Guardian, 1st December 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
The Atomic Veterans Litigation – 4 New Square
“In the week commencing 14 November 2011, a seven-member panel of Justices of the Supreme Court (L Phillips, L Walker, L Hale, L Brown, L Mance, L Kerr and L Wilson) heard the Claimants’ appeal from the Court of Appeal’s decision in the Atomic Veterans Litigation (AB v Ministry of Defence [2010] EWCA Civ 1317). Argument took place over four days and judgment was reserved by the Supreme Court.”
4 New Square, 21st November 2011
Source: www.4newsquare.com
MoD’s resistance to human rights in Iraq blamed for death of Baha Mousa – The Guardian
“The army’s former chief legal adviser in Iraq has accused the Ministry of Defence of moral ambivalence and a cultural resistance to human rights that allowed British troops to abuse detainees and beat the Basra hotel worker Baha Mousa to death.”
The Guardian, 24th November 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Investigation team “lacks necessary independence” for MOD ill-treatment allegations – UK Human Rights Blog
“The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Iraq Historic Allegations Team, set up to investigate allegations of ill-treatment of Iraqi detainees by members of the British armed forces, lacked the requisite independence to fulfil the investigatory obligation under Article 3 of the Convention.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd November 2011
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
