Overview
- In an open letter in The Times, nine recently serving four-star commanders say expanding 'lawfare' poses a direct threat to national security by undermining morale and operational effectiveness.
- The signatories call on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the attorney-general to create a new framework that disapplies the ECHR and the Human Rights Act for troops on active service.
- They argue Labour’s proposed Northern Ireland Troubles Bill fails to deliver justice or closure and erases distinctions between lawful authority and terrorist violence.
- The government’s plan would repeal the 2023 Legacy Act and establish a legacy commission plus a Garda Síochána-run unit to investigate historical cases involving UK forces and the IRA.
- The Ministry of Defence rejects the accusations, insisting the bill includes robust safeguards for veterans, while the generals’ claim of a special-forces exodus remains disputed.