4 October 201621 December 2022 4WardEverUK

The truth about British Army abuses in Iraq must come out

source: The Guardian
published: 3 October 2016

In the past few days a number of politicians and former generals have criticised the so-called hounding of British soldiers by what they claim are just money-grabbing lawyers launching ill-founded cases into alleged wartime abuse.

Criticising the work of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (Ihat), Tim Collins, the retired colonel who led British troops in Iraq, said the allegations were being made by “parasitic lawyers”. Theresa May has said she wants to end the “industry” of vexatious claims. And Tony Blair, who launched the military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, said: “I am very sorry that our soldiers and their families have been put through this ordeal.”

29 September 201621 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Police body cameras ‘cut complaints against officers’ says research

source: BBC News
published: 29 September 2016

Police body cameras can dramatically reduce the number of complaints against officers, research suggests. The Cambridge University study showed complaints by members of the public against officers fell by 93% over 12 months compared with the year before.

Almost 2,000 officers across four UK forces and two US police departments were monitored for the project. Dr Barak Ariel, who led the research, said no other policing measure had led to such “radical” changes.

The study aimed to find out if the use of cameras, which are usually clipped to the top half of an officer’s uniform, affected complaints against police made by the public.

29 September 201621 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Birmingham pub bombings: Setback for victims’ families as Government turns down funding bid

Birmingham pub bombings - credit www.wikipedia.org — Birmingham pub bombings – credit http://www.wikipedia.org

source: Express & Star
published: 26 September 2016

Relatives bereaved by the 1974 terror attacks had asked Home Secretary Amber Rudd to establish a fund similar to that created for the families represented at the Hillsborough stadium disaster inquests.

Ms Rudd has turned down the request, made by nine of the families, but said she supports their application for legal aid funding through the conventional route of the independent Legal Aid Agency (LAA). The families’ lawyers have been working pro bono to date.