Armed forces becoming "risk averse"

Personnel fear litigation, claims former Chief of Defence Staff

News, 10 February 2006

A senior military officer has warned that the UK's armed forces are becoming increasingly "risk averse".

Admiral Lord Boyce - who was Britain's most senior military officer during the invasion of Iraq - issued a warning against tampering with the military chain of command, which he said would interfere with forces' operational effectiveness. He was giving evidence yesterday to the Commons Armed Forces Bill committee.

The Armed Forces Bill will establish for the first time a single system of military justice covering the army, air force and navy. It will also remove the right of commanding officers to decide whether those serving under them should face charges in serious cases such as murder and rape.

The former Chief of Defence Staff said that soldiers, sailors and aircrew going into operations were worried about where they stood legally. He felt that the bill tampered with the fabric of a commander's relationship with his people, and that concerns had heightened folowing a number of high-profile court martials after events in Iraq.

Lord Boyce also warned about the growing role of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which he believes in future might leave British personnel vulnerable to litigation.

The three present heads of service - Chief of General Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson; Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshall Sir Jock Stirrup; and First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jonathan Bond - have said they broadly support the new bill, but have argued that the new prosecution authority must be headed by a military figure and a not a civilian lawyer.