MPs to demand inquiry into abuse of prisoners in Iraq – The Independent

Posted July 2nd, 2007 in armed forces, Iraq, news by sally

“An influential committee of MPs meets tomorrow to decide on holding a full inquiry into whether the Attorney General’s office or the MoD gave soldiers the green light to abuse detainees in Iraq.”

Full story

The Independent, 2nd July 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Inquiry into torture of Iraqis by British troops -The Times

Posted June 27th, 2007 in armed forces, Iraq, news, torture by sally

“The Attorney-General yesterday demanded an inquiry into the use of torture by British soldiers in Iraq in 2003 which led to the death in custody of Baha Musa, an Iraqi civilian arrested during an arms search. Lord Goldsmith, QC, said it was “inexplicable” that banned techniques were being used when soldiers and officers must have realised they breached the Geneva Conventions.”

Full story

The Times, 27th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Appeal court judges clear navy officer jailed for rape – The Guardian

Posted June 25th, 2007 in armed forces, news, rape by sally

“A Royal Navy chief petty officer who was jailed for five years for the rape of a female colleague on board a warship at sea had his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal yesterday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Iraq deaths ‘unlawful killings’ – BBC News

Posted June 22nd, 2007 in armed forces, inquests, Iraq, news by sally

“Five British armed forces personnel were unlawfully killed when their helicopter was shot down in Iraq, a coroner has ruled.”

Full story

BBC News, 22nd June 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inquests into the deaths of servicemen in operations and exercises overseas – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 21st, 2007 in armed forces, inquests by sally

“Ministerial statement about the inquests into the deaths of servicemen and women overseas under the jurisdiction of the Oxfordshire coroner, Nicholas Gardiner and the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner, David Masters.”

Announcement

Ministry of Justice, 20th June 2007

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Lords to look at legality of Iraq war – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2007 in armed forces, Iraq, news, war by sally

“Britain’s highest court is to hear a case which could force the government to hold an independent inquiry into the way the attorney general reached his conclusion that the war in Iraq would be lawful. The law lords have agreed to hear an appeal by the mothers of two soldiers killed in Iraq, who argue that the government violated their sons’ right to life by rushing into war on inadequate legal grounds.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

R (Al-Skeini and others) v. Secretary of State for Defence – WLR Daily

Posted June 15th, 2007 in armed forces, human rights, jurisdiction, law reports by sally

R (Al-Skeini and others) v. Secretary of State for Defence (Aire Centre and 10 others intervening) 

S 6(1) of the Human Rights Act 1998 was capable of applying to acts committed by a UK public authority outside its territory where in exceptional circumstances the victim was “within the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom” for purposes of art1 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

WLR Daily, 13th June 2007

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Regina (Al-Skeini and Others) v. Secretary of State for Defence – Times Law Reports

Posted June 15th, 2007 in armed forces, human rights, jurisdiction, law reports by sally

Regina (Al-Skeini and Other) v. Secretary of State for Defence

 House of Lords

“The Human Rights Act 1998 was capable of applying to acts of a United Kingdom public authority performed outside its territory only where the victim was within the jurisdiction of the UK for purposes of article 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights.”

The Times, 14th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Torture: the 10 claims against the Army – The Times

Posted June 13th, 2007 in armed forces, Iraq, news, torture by sally

“Lawyers for Baha Musa claimed today that the case had uncovered evidence that the Government approved the systematic torture of detainees. ”

Full story

The Times, 13th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

A “seminal decision” for human rights – The Times

Posted June 13th, 2007 in armed forces, human rights, Iraq, news by sally

“The House of Lords held by a 4-1 majority that the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) applied to South East Basra in cases where Iraqis have been detained and kept in British Army custody.”

Full story

The Times, 13th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Iraqi death covered by human rights laws, say Lords – The Independent

Posted June 13th, 2007 in armed forces, human rights, Iraq, jurisdiction, news by sally

“The European Convention on Human Rights does apply to the case of an Iraqi man who died while in the custody of British troops, the House of Lords ruled today.”

Full story

The Independent, 13th June 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Dead soldier’s father calls for murder inquiry – The Guardian

Posted June 12th, 2007 in armed forces, freedom of information, murder, news by sally

“The father of a teenage soldier who died in mysterious circumstances at Deepcut barracks called today for a murder inquiry to be launched after the emergence of what he said was fresh information about the police investigation into her death and a subsequent cover up.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Family sues MoD over Iraq death – BBC News

Posted June 7th, 2007 in armed forces, damages, news by sally

“The family of an Iraqi man who was beaten to death while in British military custody are suing the Ministry of Defence.”

Full story

BBC News, 7th June 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lord Goldsmith refuses to publish advice to Army over use of torture – The Independent

Posted May 30th, 2007 in armed forces, human rights, Iraq, news by sally

“The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, is under growing pressure to disclose his advice to the Army on whether British soldiers in Iraq needed to comply with the Human Rights Act.”

Full story

The Independent, 30th May 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Human rights in Iraq: a case to answer – The Independent

Posted May 29th, 2007 in armed forces, human rights, Iraq, news by sally

“The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, is facing accusations that he told the Army its soldiers were not bound by the Human Rights Act when arresting, detaining and interrogating Iraqi prisoners.”

Full story

The Independent, 29th May 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Secretary of State for Defence v. Pensions Appeal Tribunal – WLR Daily

Posted May 25th, 2007 in appeals, armed forces, law reports, time limits, war pensions by sally

Secretary of State for Defence v. Pensions Appeal Tribunal

“Notification requirements contained in s 9 of the Pensions Appeals Tribunals Act 1943 relating to rights of appeal from decisions of the Secretary of State for Defence on war pensions claims made pursuant to the Naval, Military and Air Forces etc (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order 1983, and to the time limits for such appeals, did not require the provision of a single document but could be fulfilled by the provision of a letter enclosing a leaflet to which reference was made,.nor was it necessary to state the date on which the time limit for the bringing of an appeal expired. Provided the information was reasonably clear, a notice specifying that notice of appeal must be given within a specified period of a specified date sufficed. A failure to comply strictly with the requirements of s 9 did not preclude the relevant time limits for appeals from starting to run.”

WLR Daily, 18th May 2007

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Regina (Dost Mohammed) v Secretary of State for Defence – Times Law Reports

Posted May 9th, 2007 in armed forces, law reports, prisoners of war, race discrimination by sally

Discrimination by nationality is not racial bias

Regina (Dost Mohammed) v. Secretary of State for Defence 

Court of Appeal

“The British Government’s scheme in 2000 for making ex gratia single payments of £10,000 to each surviving member of five specified categories of persons who had been imprisoned by the Japanese during the Second World War, or their surviving spouses, did not unlawfully discriminate against a Pakistani citizen, captured and imprisoned while serving in the Indian Army, who could not meet the criteria set out in the scheme.”

The Times, 9th May 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

R (Dost Mohammed) v. Secretary of State for Defence – WLR Daily

R (Dost Mohammed) v. Secretary of State for Defence [2007] EWCA Civ 983

“The scheme adopted by the British Government in 2000 to make an ex gratia single payment of £10,000 to each surviving member of five specified categories of persons who had been imprisoned by the Japanese during the Second World War, or their surviving spouses, did not unlawfully discriminate on grounds of race against a Pakistani citizen who had been captured while serving in the Indian army and who could not meet the criteria set out in the scheme.”

WLR Daily, 1st May 2007

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

First British soldier to be convicted of a war crime is jailed for ill-treatment of Iraqi civilians – The Guardian

Posted May 1st, 2007 in armed forces, Iraq, news, war crimes by sally

“The first British soldier ever to be convicted of a war crime was yesterday jailed for a year and dismissed from the army.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st May 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Does Basra have the right to life? – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 19th, 2007 in armed forces, human rights, Iraq, jurisdiction, news by sally

“Further charges may be brought against British troops over the death of the Iraqi hotel worker Baha Mousa, Government lawyers revealed in court this week. The disclosure was made to five law lords who are being asked to decide whether the Human Rights Act entitles families of Iraqis killed under British occupation to independent inquiries into their deaths.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 19th April 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk