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Should ex servicemen be immune from prosecution?

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On 09/05/2019 at 11:41, Penistone999 said:

Of course ex servicemen should be immune from prosecution. 

Strange no officers have been charged.

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3 minutes ago, choogling said:

Strange no officers have been charged.

Yes.

 

Presumably the squaddies were following orders - if they weren't then they ought to have been subject to military discipline at the time eg court martial.

 

So it would appear their actions were condoned higher up the chain of command.

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On 9 May 2019 at 12:36, JamesR123 said:

If a soldier shoots an innocent civilian in a war zone, this is not as great a crime as if I were to walk onto the street and shoot the poster above me.

This is the doublethink which was British government policy in Ireland at the time.

 

The Republican movement called it a war which should be covered by the various Geneva Conventions but the British government said  that it was simply a law and order matter and dealt with under UK law.

 

The government can't have it both ways. If the 'Troubles' was a law and order issue then all serving soldiers and police officers should be subject to the law with no time limits. If the 'Troubles' was a war then the IRA should have been treated as enemy combatants, and subject to the protections of the Geneva Conventions and not criminalised under UK law.

 

Those asking why these prosecutions couldn't have happened 50 years ago should watch a Channel Four film made last year called The Ballymurphy Precedent about the killing of 11 innocent civillians six months before Bloody Sunday. At that time in history, the British Army was the judge, jury and executioner and the idea that any soldier be prosecuted was laughable.

 

It is worth remembering that during the entire period from 1969 to 1998 despite the British Army being responsible for over 10% of killings, only one soldier was convicted of murder and he not only served less than three years but was admitted back into the army on his release.

 

In reality, serving personnel have been immune from prosecution for 50 years.

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I notice that no-one in favour of ex servicemen being given immunity has attempted to answer my question yet.

 

I'll ask again - why should ex-services personnel be exempt from prosecution ? Why are they so special? Anyone?

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5 minutes ago, Halibut said:

I notice that no-one in favour of ex servicemen being given immunity has attempted to answer my question yet.

 

I'll ask again - why should ex-services personnel be exempt from prosecution ? Why are they so special? Anyone?

Nobody should be exempt Halibut.

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Its strange how some people have this romantic notion that the armed forces should have carte blanche to do what they want, nobody should be above the law, when they break the law they should be held accountable, just like anyone else.

Edited by mickey finn

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56 minutes ago, mickey finn said:

Its strange how some people have this romantic notion that the armed forces should have carte blanche to do what they want, nobody should be above the law, when they break the law they should be held accountable, just like anyone else.

exactly, and so should the police, mps, the rich

 

NOBODY should be above the law

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2 hours ago, melthebell said:

exactly, and so should the police, mps, the rich

 

NOBODY should be above the law

Absolutely Mel.

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