ARMED FORCES' DISCIPLINE

EDM number 1207 in 2001-02, proposed by Kevin McNamara on 26/04/2002.

That this House notes that, on 17th April, Mr Justice Brian Kerr, sitting in the Northern Ireland High Court, ruled that the Army Board acted reasonably and lawfully in retaining, in order to continue their careers in HM services, the two Scots Guards, Mark Wright and James Fisher, convicted of the murder of Belfast teenager Peter McBride in 1992; further notes that an appeal by these two soldiers was rejected following the findings of the Court that the two soldiers had constructed and maintained a mendacious version of events to provide cover for their use of lethal force that could not be justified in any other way; further notes that the Pat Finucane Human Rights Centre in Derry has published an open letter seeking to inform 2,000 soldiers dismissed from HM armed forces for smoking a joint, and many more dismissed for more serious criminal and military offences, that they may now have a case to establish by law that the grounds for their dismissal were arbitrary and seek recovery of lost earnings in the interim; regards such a prospect as an appalling vista; and urges the Government to initiate action aimed at establishing a 'one strike and you're out' policy on members of HM forces convicted of murder.

This motion has been signed by a total of 2 MPs.