TOUGH ASSIGNMENT... Troops paved way for the peace process and helped to end The Troubles (Image: getty)
The Daily Express has fought a powerful crusade against this outrage, calling for an end to the witch-hunts. Now our initiative has achieved a real result. This week the Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt proposed a new law to prevent soldiers from being investigated over incidents that occurred more than 10 years ago, unless compelling new evidence of wrongdoing has emerged. Nor will they be hauled through the courts, for there will be a "statutory presumption against prosecution" for actions in the distant past.
These steps, though welcome, are overdue. The farce of judicial harassment has already dragged on for far too long. It is grotesque that, on the whim of legal parasites with no understanding of combat or comradeship, heroic veterans should face punishment simply for doing their duty.
The scale of the legal fiasco can be seen in the fall-out from the Iraq war, where, according to a Commons Select Committee, thousands of "spurious" cases were brought against British soldiers by "ambulance chasing-lawyers" bankrolled by the taxpayer through the £34 million Historic Allegations Team.
Although the team was closed down in 2017 after the full extent of this scandal was exposed, there are still at least 150 investigations underway into troops who fought in Iraq. Hopefully, once Ms Mordaunt's proposal is put into effect, those inquiries will be halted.
Penny Mordaunt proposed a new law to prevent soldiers from being investigated (Image: getty)
The same should apply to the dozen continuing investigations into the conduct of British veterans of the Afghanistan war. The new policy reflects well on Ms Mordaunt, the first female defence secretary in history.
Unlike most of her recent predecessors, she has a deep connection to the armed services. Not only was her father a paratrooper, but she herself has served in the Royal Navy Reserve since 2013, reaching the rank of sub-lieutenant.
Yet, for all the wisdom of her decision, there is a gaping hole at the heart
