Armed Forces: Serious Offences
Debate between Baroness Goldie and Viscount Slim
Baroness Goldie
The noble and gallant Lord raises an interesting technical point. I am not sufficiently sure of my legal knowledge to respond to it with authority. Perhaps he would leave me to look at that and revert to him.
Viscount Slim (CB)
Should the Government not have a care that there is a danger in civilianising the military system, which has worked well over the years—and have a care also that the military will be judged in a civilian way, when civilians have no knowledge of military procedure or the military system in battle?
Baroness Goldie
I reassure the noble Viscount that, as he is aware, a protocol is in existence between service and civilian prosecutors which recognises that some cases are more appropriately dealt with in the service system and some are more appropriately dealt with in the civilian system, particularly those with civilian victims. The protocol recognises that any offence can be dealt with by the service authorities. The main principle in deciding who acts is whether the offence has any civilian context, particularly a civilian victim.