Iraq veteran Joseph McCleary has today told The Times about how it took 12 years to clear his name after being falsely accused of war crimes – an ordeal that led him to attempt suicide four times and left him a broken man, unable to speak of the army to his wife and three children. Hilary…
A decorated retired former Army officer whose life has been ruined by bogus war crime charges is heading up a landmark legal action on behalf of a group of veterans who have been smeared by false allegations of war crimes. Major Robert Campbell was accused of drowning an Iraqi man in Basra in 2003. A…
Two former paratroopers accused of the murder of an Official IRA man in 1972 have been formally acquitted after their trial collapsed. Joe McCann, 24, was shot in disputed circumstances in Joy Street in the Markets area of Belfast in April 1972. Soldiers A and C, both in their 70s, had pleaded not guilty. The…
There are worrying parallels between the Post Office workers wrongly accused of theft, including postmaster Martin Griffiths who killed himself aged 59 after being driven to financial and emotional ruin as a result of the Horizon scandal, and those wrongly accused by the Iraq Historic Allegations Team. Wouldn’t you think that common sense would prevail?…
Female military veterans are struggling to access mental health support due to the stigma around seeking help, new research from Anglia Ruskin University has found. The University’s research flies in the face of the government’s Overseas Operations Bill and the 6-year longstop it imposes on civil claims. Despite the MoD’s insistence that it “fully supports…
The Overseas Operations Bill will introduce an absolute six-year time limit on civil actions after consideration of Commons amendments in the House of Lords yesterday. Throughout the passage of the Bill, one of the most controversial aspects has been restrictions on time limits for serving or retired personnel to bring actions for personal injury or…
Soldiers A and C, now in their early 70s, are due to stand trial today accused of the murder of Official IRA commander Joe McCann in Belfast in 1972. The former Parachute Regiment soldiers are the first British servicemen to be prosecuted over the killing of an active member of the IRA, and the first…
Ex veterans minister Johnny Mercer will be in Belfast today to support two ex-soldiers being prosecuted for killing an IRA commander. Soldiers A and C, now in their early 70s, are due to stand trial accused of the murder of Official IRA commander Joe McCann in Belfast in 1972. The former Parachute Regiment soldiers are…
A new trailer for factual drama Danny Boy has been released. A first look at the BBC single drama follows the real-life events of human rights lawyer Phil Shiner’s [Toby Jones] pursuit of British soldiers falsely accused of war crimes. Shiner and his firm Public Interest Lawyers made thousands of false claims involving the British…
The House of Commons has voted against the amendment by the House of Lords to exclude service veterans from the six-year limitation on civil actions against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the Overseas Operations Bill. “The six-year longstop gives the MoD the power to manipulate the claims process and deny British troops justice in…
The Government has been defeated in the House of Lords over key aspects of the Overseas Operations Bill. An amendment to the Overseas Operations Bill supported by Lord Stirrup passed by 300 to 225 last night, rejecting the proposed six-year time limit on civil claims being brought by current and former service personnel against the…
The Government has been defeated in the House of Lords over key aspects of the Overseas Operations Bill. An amendment to the Overseas Operations Bill supported by Lord Stirrup passed by 300 to 225, rejecting the proposed six-year time limit on civil claims being brought by current and former service personnel against the MoD. Peers…
Peers will make a late bid today to change legislation affecting military veterans’ rights to bring civil claims for injury suffered in service. The Overseas Operations Bill reaches its third reading in the House of Lords this afternoon. Throughout the passage of the bill, one of the most controversial aspects has been restrictions on time…
The Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill 2020 will allow the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to manipulate and stall the legal process until valid civil claims are thrown out all-together, says Hilary Meredith. The Overseas Operations Bill, currently making its way through the House of Lords (Report Stage, 13 April 2021) imposes an “absolute…
Hilary Meredith, founder and chair of Hilary Meredith Solicitors, has been honoured with a Membership Centenary Award by The Royal British Legion.The Royal British Legion’s Centenary Awards recognise members who have made an “outstanding contribution in their Legion work”.Hilary’s entire career, spanning three decades, has been devoted to serving members of the Legion and their…
The operators of Drayton Manor theme park have been fined £1m over safety failings which led to the death of an 11-year-old girl on its water rapids ride.Evha Jannath was “propelled” from a vessel on the Splash Canyon ride at the park in Staffordshire during a school trip with friends from Jameah Girls Academy in…
Armed Forces personnel who face investigations linked to overseas operations should have stronger legal rights to lawyers and mental health support, former military chiefs have told the Daily Telegraph. Marshal Lord Stirrup and Admiral Lord Boyce, both former heads of the Armed Forces, and General Lord Dannatt, a former head of the Army, have tabled…
Rishi Sunak has pledged an extra £10 million for veterans with mental health needs. The Chancellor called it “a crucial part of repaying the huge debt we all owe them”. It follows concerns about high levels of stress, anxiety and addiction among former troops and other military personnel who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan and…
A campaign by the Sun newspaper has raised £10 million for military veterans. In September, the newspaper launched a campaign to help the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal which was in crisis because of the pandemic. A host of celebrities, including David Beckham, who took poppies to Chelsea Pensioners, backed the campaign. It is…
Veterans of the First Gulf War have urged those struggling with the horrors of conflict 30 years later to seek help for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).The First Gulf War ended on 28 February 1991, following the conclusion of Operation Desert Storm, as allied forces forced Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi troops to retreat from Kuwait.Forty-seven British personnel were among the fatalities,…