Thought for the Week: A matter of conscience

Jennifer Kavanagh talks about the Military Service Act.

by Jennifer Kavanagh 29th January 2016

Tomorrow is the centenary of The Military Service Act, which brought conscription into the first world war. Many people listening will have had relatives who fought in one of the world wars. Some, like my grandfather, were exempted for medical reasons, or because they worked in a reserved occupation. A smaller number will have applied to a military tribunal for exemption, not for anything so tangible as poor sight or providing food for the nation, but as a matter of conscience.