Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill 2019-21

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Information since 21 Jun 2025, 12:57 a.m.

Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill 2019-21 mentioned

Parliamentary Debates
Northern Ireland Veterans: Prosecution 169 speeches (26,658 words) Monday 14th July 2025 - Westminster Hall Northern Ireland Office Mentions: 1: Stuart Anderson (Con - South Shropshire) The Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act 2021, for which I sat on the Bill Committee - Link to Speech

Select Committee Documents
Monday 27th October 2025 Report - 8th Report - Proposal for a Remedial Order to amend the Human Rights Act 1998: Judicial Immunity Human Rights (Joint Committee) Found: Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 are within that Act, whereas the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act
Wednesday 15th October 2025 Written Evidence - Malone House Group LPNI0052 - The Government's new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland The Government's new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Found: All other veterans had benefited from the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act 2021

Select Committee Documents

Monday 27th October 2025
Report - 8th Report - Proposal for a Remedial Order to amend the Human Rights Act 1998: Judicial Immunity

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Found: Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 are within that Act, whereas the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act

Wednesday 15th October 2025
Written Evidence - Malone House Group
LPNI0052 - The Government's new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland

The Government's new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland Affairs Committee

Found: All other veterans had benefited from the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act 2021

Written Answers
Army and Veterans: Civil Proceedings Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer) Thursday 24th July 2025 Question to the Ministry of Defence: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support and protect Army personnel and veterans from vexatious legal claims, and to provide veterans with protection against prosecutions. Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) The vast majority of Service personnel maintain the highest standards of behaviour, in the most challenging of circumstances. There are safeguards in place to reduce the risk of vexatious claims against them. The Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act was introduced in 2020 with the aim to provide greater certainty for service personnel and veterans in relation to claims and potential prosecution for historical events that occurred on overseas operations. This includes a statutory presumption against prosecution, meaning that it will be "exceptional" for Service personnel or veterans to be prosecuted in those circumstances. The Act does not prevent victims of alleged offences by Service personnel from bringing forward their allegations, which will be investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted. All members of the Armed Forces, including the Reserve Forces and Ministry of Defence civilians, plus veterans, are provided with welfare and legal support at public expense where they face criminal or civil allegations that relate to actions taken during their employment or service, and where they were performing their duties. This applies regardless of where in the world the alleged offence took place, or when.

Written Answers

Army and Veterans: Civil Proceedings
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Thursday 24th July 2025

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support and protect Army personnel and veterans from vexatious legal claims, and to provide veterans with protection against prosecutions.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The vast majority of Service personnel maintain the highest standards of behaviour, in the most challenging of circumstances. There are safeguards in place to reduce the risk of vexatious claims against them.

The Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act was introduced in 2020 with the aim to provide greater certainty for service personnel and veterans in relation to claims and potential prosecution for historical events that occurred on overseas operations. This includes a statutory presumption against prosecution, meaning that it will be "exceptional" for Service personnel or veterans to be prosecuted in those circumstances.

The Act does not prevent victims of alleged offences by Service personnel from bringing forward their allegations, which will be investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted.

All members of the Armed Forces, including the Reserve Forces and Ministry of Defence civilians, plus veterans, are provided with welfare and legal support at public expense where they face criminal or civil allegations that relate to actions taken during their employment or service, and where they were performing their duties. This applies regardless of where in the world the alleged offence took place, or when.