Former human rights lawyer Philip Shiner has pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud linked to claims made against Iraq war veterans.
Shiner, 67, led the pursuit of legal claims against British soldiers accused of ill treatment of Iraqi detainees after the 2003 Iraq war.
He appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Monday where he entered his pleas. He will be sentenced on December 2.
Hilary Meredith-Beckham provided evidence to the Select Defence Committee on the Iraq historic abuse cases, which ultimately contributed to the closure of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team and is currently acting in a landmark legal action on behalf of veterans falsely accessed of brutality and abuses against Iraqi civilians between 2003 and 2009.
Said Hilary: “Phil Shiner is a disgrace to the profession.
“His conduct was criminal and abhorrent. He should hang his head in shame.
“As a result of Shiner’s criminal conduct, thousands of British soldiers were falsely accused of war crimes. He instigated a witch hunt based on deceit. And the MoD was a willing accomplice.”
Added Hilary: “I believe it is now clear that the MoD breached the duty of care it owes to our service personnel and veterans. They owe a duty of care in law, under the military covenant, morally and ethically to stand by those who serve. Instead, they allowed the Iraq Historic Allegations Team to pursue innocent troops with false evidence of vile war crimes.
“The falsely accused have paid a huge price – shattered lives, broken marriages, ruined finances, stalled careers, poor mental and physical health.
“Although it is a step in the right direction, Phil Shiner’s downfall does not provide our troops with justice. We will continue to push ahead with our case against the MoD.”
Brian Wood, 43, a former colour sergeant who commanded troops during the Battle of Danny Boy and was relentlessly pursued over the false claims of torture.
He said: “The truth will always prevail. Shiner will have to accept whatever sentence he gets. It’s so important to me and my family to move on and not let Shiner’s deliberate lies and dishonesty define who we are.”
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