Hilary Meredith-Beckham calls for inquiry into Attorney General over Al-Sweady case
- Admin
- 3 minutes ago
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Hilary Meredith-Beckham has called for an inquiry into Attorney General Lord Hermer’s role in the Al-Sweady scandal, following revelations reported by The Telegraph.
The newspaper reports that Lord Hermer acted as lead counsel in civil claims against the Ministry of Defence, pursuing compensation on behalf of Iraqi claimants despite what it describes as mounting concerns about the credibility of their allegations. The claims related to accusations that British troops had murdered and tortured civilians after the 2004 Battle of Danny Boy.
After a £31m public inquiry, the allegations were found to be “deliberate lies”, with claimants revealed to have links to the Mahdi Army. British troops were fully exonerated.
Hilary Meredith-Beckham, who represented a number of the soldiers accused, said:
“Richard Hermer’s role should now be subject to an inquiry by the Bar Standards Board. This was the worst case ever of soldiers, who had fought so bravely, being dragged through the mud for years. The psychological damage it caused was unbelievable.”
The Telegraph reports that internal documents and emails show Lord Hermer was warned early on that elements of the claims were “implausible” and risked being exposed as “nonsense”. It also reports that he advised on generating media interest around the allegations, while acknowledging there needed to be “wriggle room” if claims did not stand up.
The revelations have prompted wider criticism, including calls for his resignation from veterans involved in the case.
