Minister defends bill to protect armed forces from prosecution

Mr Mercer, a former army officer, insisted the measures would bring “integrity to a process that has destroyed the lives of some of our finest people”.

His comments came after General Sir Nick Parker, former commander of land forces, co-signed a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressing worries about aspects of the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill.

Critics have said the Bill could make it harder to prosecute members of the armed forces for alleged offences overseas after more than five years have elapsed.

Former head of the armed forces, Field Marshal Charles Guthrie, and Tory ex-defence minister Sir Malcolm Rifkind were also among those who wrote to Mr Johnson.

Gen Parker told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I absolutely welcome anything that is going to address the unfair and malicious claims that are made against our people.

“But, I am very concerned that the process which is in place at the moment is moving very quickly and without enough careful consideration of the potential unintended consequences it may have.

“I am worried that it looks as if, where it focuses on prosecutions, it is placing conditions that are unnecessary and risk us being seen in the international community as setting double standards.”

Veterans Minister Mr Mercer said: “Yes, of course, the legislation focuses on the vexatious claims, part of it, but there is a very clear part one in the Bill that deals with bringing integrity to a process that has destroyed the lives of some of our finest people.”

“People will be prosecuted after five years where evidence exists.

“All we are doing is increasing the integrity of the process so that prosecutors have to consider whether it is in the public interest.

“I have spent four or five years dealing with people who have been through these investigations, not the generals at the top of the organisation, but, in fact the people who have been genuinely affected by this.

“A major part of that process is making sure that this industrial level claims is stopped because it is so grossly unfair.”