Deepcut inquest: police failed to investigate suspects in soldier’s death – The Guardian

Posted February 10th, 2016 in armed forces, inquests, news, police by sally

‘Surrey police failed to properly investigate and eliminate three potential suspects in their original investigation into the death of army recruit Cheryl James at Deepcut barracks, an inquest heard, as an army brigadier apologised to her family for army failings in looking after her.’

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The Guardian, 9th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Cheryl James: Teenage army recruit ‘may have been killed by someone else’ – The Independent

Posted February 9th, 2016 in armed forces, evidence, forensic science, homicide, inquests, murder, news by sally

‘New forensic evidence reveals that a teenage army recruit found dead at Deepcut barracks may not have shot herself and could have been killed by someone else, it has emerged.’

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The Independent, 8th February 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lord Bramall inquiry: Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe called to account by MPs – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 8th, 2016 in armed forces, child abuse, inquiries, news, police, select committees by tracey

‘Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Britain’s most senior police officer, will explain his conduct over the beleaguered child sex abuse inquiry for the first time later this month after being called to give evidence to MPs.’

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Daily Telegraph, 7th February 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Lord Brittan abuse inquiry ‘fully justified’, review finds – BBC News

‘The Metropolitan Police investigation of a rape allegation against the late Lord Brittan was “fully justified”, a review has concluded.’.

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BBC News, 7th February 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Deepcut inquest will not consider ‘culture of sexual abuse’ claims – The Guardian

Posted February 2nd, 2016 in armed forces, evidence, inquests, news, sexual offences by sally

‘An inquest into the death from a gunshot wound of a young female soldier at Deepcut 20 years ago will not consider whether there was a “culture of sexual abuse” at the army barracks, a coroner has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 1st February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Fresh inquest may shed light on mystery Deepcut shootings – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2016 in armed forces, evidence, forensic science, human rights, inquests, inquiries, news, suicide by tracey

‘Independent inquiry into recruit Cheryl James’s death in 1995 is “milestone” in history of unexplained barracks deaths.’

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The Guardian, 1st February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MoJ and MoD join forces to protect soldiers from “parasitic litigation” – Litigation Futures

Posted January 27th, 2016 in armed forces, Iraq, law firms, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, torture by sally

‘Justice minister Dominic Raab and armed forces minister Penny Mordaunt are to chair a working party looking at how to prevent “any malicious or parasitic litigation from being taken against our brave armed forces”, Mr Raab revealed yesterday.’

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Litigation Futures, 27th January 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Doubts raised over UK government’s refusal to permit return to Chagos – The Guardian

Posted January 25th, 2016 in armed forces, Chagos Islands, documents, human rights, indigenous peoples, news by sally

‘For more than half a century the displaced people of the Chagos Islands have sought to return to their home, a collection of coral reefs in the Indian Ocean that constitutes one of the more far-flung outposts of the British empire.’

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The Guardian, 23rd January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Cameron wants crackdown on ‘spurious’ military legal claims – BBC News

Posted January 22nd, 2016 in armed forces, death in custody, Iraq, legal aid, news, torture, war crimes by sally

‘The prime minister has ordered a clampdown on “spurious” legal claims against UK military personnel.’

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BBC News, 22nd January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid crackdown to protect troops from being sued – Daily Telegraph

‘ Human rights lawyers who have brought thousands of war crimes cases against British troops will see their taxpayer-funded legal aid cut, in a new assault on “ambulance chasing” law firms. David Cameron has ordered a crackdown after becoming “very concerned” at the boom in compensation claims and investigations against soldiers over incidents in Iraq and Afghanistan.’

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Daily Telegraph, 16th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Westminster child sex abuse probe: Pressure mounts on Met commissioner to apologise to Lord Bramall – The Independent

Posted January 18th, 2016 in armed forces, child abuse, news, police by tracey

‘Pressure is mounting on the Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, to apologise to Lord Bramall, Britain’s most-distinguished living soldier, after the force said he will face no further action in connection with historical allegations of child abuse.’

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The Independent, 17th January 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Deepcut recruit Cheryl James ‘may have been raped before she died’ – The Guardian

Posted January 12th, 2016 in armed forces, evidence, inquests, news, rape by sally

‘A teenage army recruit who was found dead at a British barracks more than 20 years ago may have been raped or ordered by a superior to have sex, an inquest has been told.’

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The Guardian, 11th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Nearly 300 British veterans face investigation over alleged Iraq war crimes – The Guardian

‘Nearly 300 British personnel who served in Iraq have been contacted by investigators looking into allegations of war crimes, with some of them facing interrogation on their doorsteps, officials have said.’

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The Guardian, 9th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lawyers face prospect of being struck off over Iraq abuse claims – Daily Telegraph

‘Leigh Day, Britain’s leading human rights law firm, is facing a disciplinary inquiry over the shredding of a document which could have halted a £31m inquiry into false allegations of murder and torture by British troops.’

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Daily Telegraph, 5th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Sleepwalking sailors dismissed by Royal Navy – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2015 in armed forces, dismissal, freedom of information, news, sleepwalking by tracey

‘Revelation comes as armed forces’ rules are being updated and also to disqualify those who suffer from “sleep terrors.”’

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The Guardian, 18th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sgt Alexander Blackman’s wife ‘cautiously optimistic’ of new appeal – Daily Telegraph

‘The wife of a Royal Marine given a life sentence for murdering a Taliban captive has said she is cautiously optimistic new evidence will see his case sent back to the Appeal Court.’

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Daily Telegraph, 16th December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Bloody Sunday: Ex-soldiers win High Court fight over questioning in Northern Ireland – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 17th, 2015 in armed forces, demonstrations, news, Northern Ireland, police by tracey

‘Former paratroopers who face questioning over Bloody Sunday have won their High Court battle against being detained and transferred to Northern Ireland for interview by police.’

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Daily Telegraph, 17th December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Man convicted of planning Isis-inspired Remembrance Sunday attack – The Guardian

Posted December 15th, 2015 in armed forces, commemorations, news, police, terrorism by sally

‘A British-based Islamist has been found guilty of plotting a Remembrance Day beheading on the streets of Britain, inspired by a “chilling fatwa” from Islamic State.’

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The Guardian, 14th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The dark face of our imperial past – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 30th, 2015 in armed forces, colonies, delay, human rights, inquests, inquiries, jurisdiction, news by sally

‘The Supreme Court has ruled that the United Kingdom was not obliged to hold a public inquiry into the shooting in December 1948 during the Malayan Emergency by British troops of 24 unarmed civilians at Batang Kali. The Court held that (1) the lapse of time meant that there was no Article 2 requirement to hold an inquiry; (2) a duty to hold an inquiry could not be implied into common law under the principles of customary international law; and (3) the decision not to hold an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 was not open to challenge on ordinary judicial review principles. However, the Supreme Court did hold that the deaths were within the United Kingdom’s jurisdiction for the purposes of the application of the ECHR.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 30th November 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Malayan killings families lose UK Supreme Court appeal – BBC News

‘Relatives of 24 rubber plantation workers killed by British troops almost 70 years ago in Malaya have lost an appeal for an official investigation.’

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BBC News, 25th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk