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Cameron wants crackdown on 'spurious' military legal claims Cameron wants crackdown on 'spurious' military legal claims
(about 4 hours later)
The prime minister has ordered a clampdown on "spurious" legal claims against UK military personnel. The prime minister has said he wants to "stamp out" what he called "spurious" legal claims against British troops returning from war.
David Cameron has asked ministers to draw up plans to end the claims, including measures to curb the use of "no win, no fee" arrangements. David Cameron said ministers had been asked to draw up plans to restrict claims, including by curbing financial incentives for "no win, no fee" cases.
A Number 10 source said Mr Cameron wanted to stop the "torment" felt by members of the armed forces who faced such cases. About 280 UK veterans are currently being investigated over alleged abuse by soldiers during the Iraq War.
Lawyers have argued that no-one should be above the law. Lawyers said no-one was above the law, and many abuse cases had been proven.
Troops' 'torment' The Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) was set up to investigate allegations of murder, abuse and torture against Iraqi civilians by UK military personnel between 2003 and 2009.
A Number 10 source said: "The prime minister is deeply concerned at the large number of spurious claims being made against members of our armed forces. It has considered at least 1,515 possible victims - of whom 280 are alleged to have been unlawfully killed - and lawyers are continuing to refer cases of alleged abuse.
"He is absolutely clear that action needs to be taken and has asked the National Security Council to produce a clear, detailed plan on how we stop former troops facing this torment." The head of the inquiry, Mark Warwick, has said there are "lots of significant cases" and that discussions would be held over whether they met a war crimes threshold.
Other plans being considered by the government's National Security Council include speeding up a planned residence for legal aid cases that will require claimants to have lived in the UK for 12 months. However Mr Cameron has previously said he feared people were being "solicited by lawyers" enticing them into making accusations, and was concerned many of them were fabricated.
The government's new proposals also include taking action against companies found to have abused the system in the past to pursue fabricated claims. 'Hounded by lawyers'
There could also be penalties for those lawyers who are found to have abused the process. In a statement issued on Friday, Mr Cameron said there was now "an industry trying to profit from spurious claims" against UK military personnel.
The BBC's legal affairs correspondent, Clive Coleman, said lawyers stress the government has agreed financial settlements in hundreds of claims brought against soldiers, and that few cases are legally-aided. "Our armed forces are rightly held to the highest standards - but I want our troops to know that when they get home from action overseas this government will protect them from being hounded by lawyers over claims that are totally without foundation."
'Deliberate lies' He said he had ordered the National Security Council - a cabinet committee set up by David Cameron which meets weekly to discuss security and defence strategy - to produce "a comprehensive plan to stamp out this industry".
A spokesman for law firm Leigh Day said Mr Cameron should not challenge the principle that "no-one is above the law". Plans to be considered by the National Security Council include:
Number 10 said the measures aimed to stop "lawyers pursuing soldiers through the courts for simply serving their country and doing their jobs on operations overseas".
The Legal Aid Agency - the department of the Ministry of Justice which provides legal aid and advice in England and Wales - has also been asked to consider whether legal aid arrangements should be temporarily restricted for any firm being investigated for misconduct.
The BBC's legal affairs correspondent, Clive Coleman, said lawyers had stressed that the the government had agreed financial settlements in hundreds of claims brought against soldiers, and that few cases were legally-aided.
A spokesman for law firm Leigh Day said Mr Cameron should not challenge the principle that "no-one is above the law, not us, not the British army and not the government".
He said: "Over the last 12 years many cases of abuse made against the MoD during the course of the occupation of Iraq have come to light and been accepted by the government.He said: "Over the last 12 years many cases of abuse made against the MoD during the course of the occupation of Iraq have come to light and been accepted by the government.
"They include the appalling torture and murder of Baha Mousa in 2003. In addition, the government has paid compensation for over 300 other cases relating to abuse and unlawful detention of Iraqis."They include the appalling torture and murder of Baha Mousa in 2003. In addition, the government has paid compensation for over 300 other cases relating to abuse and unlawful detention of Iraqis.
He added: "The vast majority of serving Army soldiers do a first class job in protecting this country but the evidence shows that this is by no means the case for all." He added: "The vast majority of serving army soldiers do a first-class job in protecting this country but the evidence shows that this is by no means the case for all."
Leigh Day has been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal to answer complaints about its handling of legal challenges brought by Iraqi detainees against the Ministry of Defence.Leigh Day has been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal to answer complaints about its handling of legal challenges brought by Iraqi detainees against the Ministry of Defence.
It follows the findings of the 2014 Al-Sweady inquiry, which concluded that the most serious claims against British soldiers had been "deliberate lies, reckless speculation and ingrained hostility". Wrongdoing denied
It follows the findings of the 2014 Al-Sweady inquiry, which concluded that claims that British troops had murdered and mutilated Iraqis in custody were "deliberate lies, reckless speculation and ingrained hostility" - although some of the detention techniques used had amounted to mistreatment.
The firm has strongly denied allegations of wrongdoing and said it would "vigorously" defend itself.The firm has strongly denied allegations of wrongdoing and said it would "vigorously" defend itself.
The Legal Aid Agency has also been asked to review all contracts to establish whether legal aid should be restricted on an interim basis in relation to any firm under investigation for misconduct, and whether such contracts should be scrapped entirely after disciplinary proceedings have been completed. In 2011, another inquiry into claims of abuse highlighted the death of hotel worker Baha Mousa in British military custody, and blamed "corporate failure" at the Ministry of Defence for the use of banned interrogation methods in Iraq.
The proposals come days after Mr Fallon told MPs he was concerned about the "industrial scale" of claims against serving personnel and veterans. Number 10 said the defence secretary had been commissioned to prepare the ground for seeking "to recover as much of the £31m of taxpayers' money spent on the Al-Sweady inquiry as possible", including money awarded to some law firms involved in the inquiry.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has criticised "ambulance-chasing British law firms" who he said were inhibiting soldiers on the battlefield who feared being hauled in front of the courts on their return.
He has argued there is "a strong case" for suspending the European human rights law when sending forces into action overseas.