David Cameron calls for action on 'spurious claims' against Iraq veterans
David Cameron has ordered ministers to take action to clamp down on lawyers pursuing claims against veterans of the Iraq war.
Ministers on the national security council have been given the task of drawing up options to end “spurious claims”, including measures to curb the use of “no win, no fee” arrangements and the requirement that legal aid claimants must have lived in the UK for 12 months.
Law firms found to have abused the system could face tougher penalties under the measures being considered.
A No 10 source said: “The prime minister is deeply concerned at the large number of spurious claims being made against members of our armed forces. 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 clampdown on the financial incentives will be accompanied by tough action against any firms found to have abused the system in the past to pursue fabricated claims.
Law firm Leigh Day has already been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal as a result of the failure to disclose a key document to the £31m Al-Sweady inquiry. The inquiry concluded in its final report in December 2014 that allegations of war crimes following the Battle of Danny Boy on 14 May 2004 in southern Iraq were based on “deliberate lies, reckless speculation and ingrained hostility”.
Once disciplinary proceedings have been completed against any firm, the defence secretary Michael Fallon has been ordered to prepare the ground for seeking to recover as much of the taxpayers’ money spent on the inquiry as possible................