CONSERVATIVE
New Forest East

DEFENCE – OPERATION BANNER VETERANS - 12 March 2020

DEFENCE – OPERATION BANNER VETERANS - 12 March 2020

Dr Julian Lewis: With the Minister’s own strong record on the subject, I am sure that he will agree that the misapplication of human rights law to the battlefield, rather than the law of armed conflict, is a cause of immense stress and mental distress to the veteran population who have taken part in campaigns and fear being dragged through the courts. When will the Government be bringing forward the promised legislation – I have in mind the promise made on Armistice Day last year, during the election campaign – to stop the repeated reinvestigation of veterans in the absence of any compelling new evidence?

[The Minister for Defence People and Veterans (Johnny Mercer): I thank my right hon. Friend for his continued doggedness on this issue. I can confirm that I will be introducing a Bill on Wednesday next week that meets our manifesto commitment on this issue. The Prime Minister has made it absolutely clear that the days of lawyers running amok in our services and our veterans community, trying to rewrite history in order to make money, are over. Through a series of measures starting next Wednesday when I will introduce the Bill, this Government are going to go to war on lawfare, and we will ensure that those who serve are protected when they come home by those who should be protecting them.]