MPs will today debate whether or not veterans who served in Northern Ireland should be given immunity. The Commons debate follows the success of a petition urging the Government to excuse Northern Ireland veterans from historical criminal investigations. It was signed by more than 146,000 people. Why would you serve in the British Military to…
Following the Government’s allocation of £10 million to support mental health for veterans through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, Defence Secretary Penny Mourdant has announced that up to £9 million of this funding will be allocated to mental health and wellbeing activities. She also announced that additional measures will be taken to attract and…
Conservative MP Johnny Mercer says he has withdrawn his support for Theresa May and her government over the historical prosecution of servicemen and women. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Mercer said it was “regrettable” that he could not continue to support the government. He called on Mrs May to end the “abhorrent…
Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has announced that a former soldier is to be prosecuted for the murder of a teenage boy who was shot dead in 1972. The veteran, identified as ‘Soldier B’, will face the charge of murdering 15-year-old Daniel Hegarty. He was shot and killed by a member of an Army…
A huge funding disparity over legal representation at Inquests has been uncovered by a campaign charity. Figures released by the charity Inquest reveal that, in 2017, the Ministry of Justice spent £4.2m on legal representation for the prison and probation service. Families on the other hand received £92,000 through the Legal Aid Agency’s exceptional funding…
The Mail on Sunday has reported that law firms behind a ‘witch-hunt’ probe into killings by British troops in Northern Ireland – including Bloody Sunday – are secretly receiving millions of pounds in legal aid. Solicitors are making huge sums by bringing cases on behalf of the families of IRA members killed or jailed during…
After much speculation and parliamentary debate, it has emerged that army veterans will be protected from prosecution for alleged historic abuses under plans to introduce a 10-year limit on new cases. Defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, is expected to bring forward the proposed legislation in this year’s Queen’s speech. It is believed that the legislation will…
This Friday, 8 March, is International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. International Women’s Day (IWD) has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a…
I fully support the introduction of a new ID card for armed forces veterans, which will help them access specialist support and services. Any personnel who have left the military since December 2018 will automatically be given one of the new ID cards, which will allow them to maintain a tangible link to their career…
The BBC is reporting that military charities are not coping with the increased demand for mental health support. Shockingly, campaigners estimate that last year, at least 58 veterans took their own lives. The Ministry of Defence spends £22 million pounds a year on mental health for veterans, while the NHS has dedicated around £6m annually…
I was disappointed to read that less than a quarter of British organisations have heard of the Armed Forces Covenant. According to a new report – Benefit not Burden, commissioned by the Forces in Mind Trust – twenty-four per cent of companies have heard of the Covenant, which is a pledge made by the government…
There is an excellent column by Johnny Mercer, Conservative MP and member of the Defence Select Committee, in today’s Daily Mail. The statute of limitations – veterans protection inquiry is an “investigation into the question of how former service personnel can be protected from the spectre of investigation and re-investigation for events that happened many…
Congratulations to the whole team at Hilary Meredith Solicitors for securing our highest ever ranking in this year’s Legal 500, the leading guide to law firms in the UK. The Legal 500 praises Hilary Meredith Solicitors for its personal injury and military expertise. It’s particularly satisfying to see our work on behalf of service personnel…
The Defence Secretary has said that women will be able to apply for any role in the military for the first time. Gavin Williamson announced that women serving in the Army are now able to transfer into infantry roles, including the special forces, such as the SAS. He said for the first time the “armed…
The Ministry of Defence is looking into suicide rates among veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Cases where former servicemen and women have taken their own lives will be the focus of the research. It will look into the causes of death among those who left the Armed Forces. It’s been reported that more…
I was terribly saddened to hear of the demise of yet another great law firm, Roberts Jackson. Not only was founder Karen Jackson a neighbour, her office was near to mine in Wilmslow. She is a good friend and an excellent lawyer. Karen prides herself on excellence and invested in the training of her staff…
New figures show that more injuries are caused during training than in any other activity for full-time members of the Armed Forces. The figures have been published in the same week as families and lawyers call on the Ministry of Defence to be stripped of its immunity from prosecution after two SAS servicemen were acquitted…
Two soldiers face a court martial, beginning today, for negligence in relation to the deaths of three reservists, who died after a 16-mile training march in the Brecon Beacons – but military lawyer Hilary Meredith says it is the MoD that should be in the dock. The men, named only as 1A and 1B, both…
Military staff who worked on Sea King helicopters, which have been in service since 1969, are being warned they may have been exposed to asbestos. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is urgently removing parts suspected of containing the harmful material from its aircraft and, according to The Mail on Sunday, thousands of engineers may be…
An Army captain has been jailed for 18 months after a soldier was killed during a live firing exercise. Capt Jonathan Price was also dismissed from the Army by the court martial for the gross negligence manslaughter of Ranger Michael Maguire. The 21-year-old was hit by a stray bullet at the Castlemartin Range, Pembrokeshire in…