‘Lawfare’ Against Our Troops: What do we want from the next Prime Minister?

with

Richard Ekins
Head of Judicial Power Project
Associate Professor, University of Oxford

Patrick Hennessey
Barrister, author and former British Army Officer

Lt Gen Sir Graeme Lamb KBE, CMG, DSO
Former Commander of the British Field Army
Former Director Special Forces

Julie Marionneau
Research Fellow, Judicial Power Project
Former Commandant de l’armée de l’air française

Tom Tugendhat MBE, MP

Rt Hon Lord West of Spithead GCB DSC,
Former First Sea Lord
Former Security Minister

About the event

The actions of our troops are being challenged in court as never before. Most notably, years after having served, many veterans are still trapped in a cycle of investigation and reinvestigation in relation to incidents from Northern Ireland to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Despite growing cross-party and public concern about the unfairness of this situation, too little has been done to relieve the plight of veterans and to give them the legal protections they deserve, or to reform the legal environment for future military operations.

“To you from failing hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high.” This verse from the famous poem “In Flanders field” reminds us of our collective responsibility to treat veterans and serving personnel fairly. This will not mean legal impunity but should mean that the law takes military necessities into account and is not open to abuse.

Policy Exchange put this issue on the national agenda and now, in this high-profile event, brings together leading voices from the military and legal contexts for a discussion looking at its causes and its consequences for UK forces and operations. The discussion considers a series of novel and bold policy proposals the next Government should adopt to protect our troops.

About the series

What do we want from the next Prime Minister? That is the question at the heart of a major series of events announced by Policy Exchange today. Brexit has increased the number of potential futures for our country. But the search for a new national consensus – a governing philosophy with a broad basis of support and a policy agenda to match – has so far proved elusive. Join us to discuss the policies that could bring a divided UK together again.