Skip to main content
NEU Senior Regional Support Officer
A licence to cover up murder and torture
The Australian Crompvoets report into ‘psychopathic’ behaviour of special forces abroad has a stark warning for Britain as it considers the Overseas Operations Bill, says SOLOMON HUGHES
Defence Minister Johnny Mercer

DEFENCE MINISTER Johnny Mercer is currently trying to push the Overseas Operations Bill through Parliament. 

The Bill would make it much harder to prosecute British soldiers for crimes committed while on active service abroad, especially five years after the event.

Many Conservative and military figures object to the Bill, because they think exempting soldiers from, for example, prosecutions for torture, would damage the reputation of the army itself. 

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
SECRET STATE: The statue of David Stirling, founder of the SAS, looks over mist around Ben Ledi mountain, Central Scotland
Features / 29 January 2026
29 January 2026

As the government quietly upgrades the role of Britain’s special forces, their growing global footprint and near-total exemption from democratic oversight should alarm us all, says ROGER McKENZIE

ILLEGAL FROM THE START: British commandos in the south east region of Afghanistan, May 2002
Features / 20 June 2025
20 June 2025

As the cover-ups collapse, IAN SINCLAIR looks at the shocking testimony from British forces who would ‘go in and shoot everyone sleeping there’ during night raids — illegal, systematic murder spawned by an illegal invasion