Two former senior Army commanders have warned that the Government's latest amendments to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill still leave veterans exposed to repeated investigations and legal proceedings.
General Sir Peter Wall, Chief of the General Staff from 2010 to 2014, and General Sir Nick Parker, formerly Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces, issued a joint statement following the publication of the Government's amendments on 12 October.
The two retired four-star generals have been prominent critics of the proposed legacy arrangements. They have repeatedly called for greater protection against reopening cases involving veterans whose actions have already been investigated.
Concerns remain over repeated investigations
The Government's latest amendments introduce additional safeguards, including consideration of compelling new evidence before certain witness powers are exercised, recognition of the operational circumstances faced by service personnel, and Attorney General consent for serious Troubles-related prosecutions.
However, Wall and Parker argue that these measures do not adequately address the problem of repeated investigations.
Their particular concern is that the proposed protections against unnecessary witness questioning do not extend in the same way to veterans approached as suspects.
They also argue that the legislation fails to establish a consistent threshold of genuinely new and compelling evidence before previously investigated incidents can become the subject of further proceedings.
The generals have called for more fundamental changes to the Bill, suggesting that redrafting may be preferable to further amendments.
The Government maintains that its proposals respond directly to veterans' concerns while preserving the rights of victims and families to seek answers.
The disagreement centres on whether the new safeguards provide sufficient protection against repeated investigations, as distinct from repeated questioning or prosecution.
Sources: Forces News, 13 October 2026; The Telegraph, 13 October; Government announcement, 12 October. Forces News