Two of Britain’s most senior former Army commanders have criticised the Government.
They say it has failed to protect Northern Ireland veterans from repeated investigations under proposed legacy legislation.
General Sir Peter Wall and General Sir Nick Parker have warned that amendments to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill would leave former soldiers open to further legal proceedings, even where their actions had already been thoroughly examined.
In a joint statement, the generals said: "The likelihood of eventual prosecution is remote, but the personal consequences of the legal process that will inevitably follow from this Bill will be devastating.
"The process itself is going to continue to be the punishment."
They did not call for immunity for soldiers who broke the law and acknowledged the need for families to seek answers.
However, they argued the Government had failed to distinguish between establishing the truth and subjecting veterans to repeated adversarial proceedings.
The generals said: "We are not seeking immunity.
"Those who broke the law must remain accountable, and families must be able to seek answers.
"But seeking answers should not automatically mean subjecting previously investigated veterans to renewed adversarial proceedings."
They called for a single, clear test requiring genuinely new and compelling evidence before previously investigated veterans can face renewed investigations or legal proceedings.
The Government announced its latest amendments to the Bill at the start of the week, saying they would significantly reduce veterans’ exposure to repeat investigations while allowing bereaved families to seek answers.
Proposed changes include requiring the Attorney General’s consent for serious Troubles-related prosecutions and introducing safeguards around approaching witnesses.
However, the generals said the fundamental question was whether ministers intended to prevent repeat proceedings against those who served lawfully, or merely make prosecution less likely.
Their statement said: "These are clearly different objectives."
Their intervention follows repeated warnings from the SAS Regimental Association, which said: "Legal process has been very successfully weaponised against the State and military veterans in particular."
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The association has said ongoing investigations have caused a "significant moral injury" among serving personnel and veterans, and that those affected believed "the contract between the Armed Forces and Government has been broken".
The dispute has also been cited by former special forces commander and ex-Armed Forces Minister Al Carns as a factor in his resignation.
Mr Carns told LBC: "Unless we sorted those issues out, then I couldn’t stand with the government."
In his resignation letter, he described the legislation as "unfit for purpose" and warned it risked failing the veterans it was meant to protect.
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