Overseas Operations Bill passes through Commons
Quakers disappointed that bill will not be paused while judge-led review conducted.
Quakers have welcomed the news that a judge-led review into the handling of allegations against troops will run in parallel to the controversial Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, which passed through the House of Commons early this month. However, they said they were ‘extremely disappointed’ that the bill which passed on 3 November would not be paused while the review was conducted.
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) and Quaker Concern for the Abolition of Torture (Q-CAT) previously wrote to the defence secretary to express concern about the bill which introduces a ‘presumption against prosecution’ for UK armed forces personnel accused of war-related crimes overseas after five years.
Meanwhile, Friends and other members of the public wrote to their MPs via Q-CAT’s website. The bill has met with criticism from a range of voices including the Royal British Legion, Liberty and the Law Society. John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, wrote in The Guardian on 2 November that the bill ‘offers protection to the MoD, but not to servicemen and women’.
In response to the chorus of criticism, the defence secretary announced a review to ensure the UK has the best framework, skills and processes in place to investigate complex and serious allegations of wrongdoing.
BYM said it will continue to engage with policy-makers on this important issue. The bill will now be considered in the House of Lords.
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