Report comment

The Prime Minister was correct in stating that efforts should be made to stop "ambulance-chasing" lawyers from pursuing unsubstantiated claims against army veterans who were simply serving their country. If prosecutions are to be brought, then they need to be against those members of the executive who ordered the invasion of Iraq, not the military personnel who were only obeying orders. It has been alleged that a lawyer employed by one of the firms involved in this distasteful process, Leigh Day, shredded a key document that might have cast doubt upon the character of Iraqi witnesses. Furthermore, this same firm is believed to have given Emily Thornberry, shadow defence secretary, almost £50,000 in donations-in-kind over a two-year period. Is such a relationship helpful in the present situation? Apparently, it took the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal far less time to reach its verdicts than has been the case with the present investigation. This is something the Law Society needs to comment on in a more forceful manner. It has been estimated that some of the claims currently being brought against veterans may not be resolved until some time in the next decade. The legal profession must not be tempted to close ranks, but co-operate with the government to ensure that this situation does not arise again.