Editorial Comment:

For too long the Armed Forces have been targeted by ambulance-chasing law firms that have sapped morale and cost a fortune. This newspaper has revealed that the taxpayer is facing a £150 million bill for defending more than 2,000 legal cases of supposed human rights violations during the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. The Al-Sweady inquiry, for instance, cost £31 million only to find that allegations of the murder of Iraqi prisoners were “wholly without foundation and entirely the product of deliberate lies, reckless speculation and ingrained hostility”.

Now Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, has publicly stated that there is a strong case for suspending European human rights law when the UK’s troops go into action overseas. He says that the Government’s proposed Bill of Rights, replacing the Human Rights Act, could introduce the ability to “derogate” from the European Convention on Human Rights under special circumstances. These reforms would take time but, as Mr Fallon notes, inaction puts the operational abilities of the Armed Forces at risk.

Human rights are critical: the West’s recognition of civil liberties not only protects us from abuse by the state but gives the democratic nations a moral edge over their despotic enemies. Nevertheless, the fight against terrorism should not be undermined by those who would hamstring the troops with petty and vexatious claims. It is absurd, to give just one example, that some have insisted that dangerous enemy combatants should not be held in custody for more than a few hours. The Government’s reassertion of common sense is most welcome. Britain’s servicemen and women need to know that justice won’t let them down.