SAS veterans threaten ‘unprecedented’ legal action over Labour’s Troubles Bill
SAS veterans threaten legal action over Labour’s Troubles Bill amid warnings of ‘real harm’ to armed forces.
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The Special Air Service Regimental Association has issued a formal legal warning to Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland Secretary, arguing that Labour’s Northern Ireland Troubles Bill fails to protect former soldiers, police officers and security service personnel.
In a letter before action sent this week, the association said the proposed legislation is “manifestly deficient” in the safeguards it offers to those who served during the Troubles. It warned that if the Bill becomes law in its current form, it will be challenged, and confirmed it intends to submit detailed concerns to Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights.
The escalating row surfaced in the Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions, where senior Conservative MP Sir David Davis issued a stark warning about the impact of the legislation on current and former members of the armed forces.
“Last week, nine four-star generals made clear that the Bill the Government passed yesterday is already causing real harm to the Armed Forces,” he told MPs. “The most acute damage is being felt by the Special Air Service, it is already affecting their recruitment, retention, morale and operational effectiveness.”
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Sir David said the SAS Regimental Association’s decision to instruct lawyers and send a legal warning to the Northern Ireland Secretary was unprecedented. “I know of no precedent for this in the entire history of the army. It reflects just how serious the situation is.”
He urged the Prime Minister to intervene directly to ensure ageing veterans are not pulled into protracted legal processes over incidents that took place decades ago.
“Can I plead with the Prime Minister to engage personally in this matter and stop soldiers in their sixties, seventies and eighties from being dragged into court and effectively punished for actions which most people would consider heroic? Because this is now a matter both of national security and national honour.”
The Northern Ireland Office has yet to respond publicly to the association’s legal challenge.