Richard Hermer, the Attorney General, is under scrutiny over his past role in pursuing legal claims against British soldiers for alleged war crimes in Iraq in 2008, according to multiple reports. Lord Hermer has been reported to the Bar Standards Board for alleged serious professional misconduct, and Nigel Farage has reported him to the House of Lords' standards commissioner, major media outlets report. The allegations centre on his involvement in the Al-Sweady case, where Iraqi civilians accused British troops of unlawful killings and mistreatment after a battle in 2004.
Emails reportedly reveal that Lord Hermer was warned the claims were 'nonsense' and expressed his own doubts about their validity, according to major media reports. The exact content of the emails and the nature of his doubts remain unclear, but they form the basis of the misconduct allegations.
The actions Lord Hermer has taken in the legal cases against British veterans is treacherous, and a full investigation should now take place.
The Al-Sweady public inquiry, which concluded in 2014, found that the allegations against British troops were 'deliberate lies' driven by 'ingrained hostility' towards the British Army, according to major media reports. British troops were fully exonerated in 2014, with the inquiry chairman describing the claims as 'wholly and entirely without foundation'.
Solicitor Phil Shiner, who collaborated with Lord Hermer on the Al-Sweady claims, was removed from the legal register and convicted of fraud, major media outlets report. Shiner was struck off in 2017 after being found to have acted dishonestly in pursuing the claims.
Over a 30-year legal career, the Attorney General represented many clients - including British military personnel, such as a British soldier killed by IRA terrorists, and injured servicemen in the Iraq War. Any suggestion that the Attorney acted improperly during his private career is false.
A spokesman for the Attorney General said Lord Hermer was 'not involved substantially in the Al-Sweady claims after 2008, beyond less than a day's work where he made clear further investigation was needed', according to major media reports. The spokesman added: 'Over a 30-year legal career, the Attorney General represented many clients - including British military personnel, such as a British soldier killed by IRA terrorists, and injured servicemen in the Iraq War. Any suggestion that the Attorney acted improperly during his private career is false.'
The Government has also defended its approach to legacy issues, with a spokesman saying the last Government's Legacy Act offered 'false promise of conditional immunity' and was found incompatible with international law, according to major media reports. The spokesman said: 'The last Government's Legacy Act offered the false promise of conditional immunity from prosecutions for Troubles-era crimes. It was found to be incompatible with international law, thrown out twice by the courts and left veterans without any protections. In contrast, we are bringing forward a substantial package of amendments at committee stage to further safeguard our veterans, in addition to the vital new protections already in the bill so there is no question of veterans being prosecuted for having followed the rules. We will continue to speak to veterans' organisations so that the amendments we bring forward are robust, workable and lawful.'
The Bar Standards Board has not yet confirmed whether it will launch an investigation into Lord Hermer's conduct. The House of Lords standards commissioner is also considering the complaint from Nigel Farage. The outcome of these complaints could have significant implications for the Government, as Lord Hermer is a key legal advisor to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The exact nature and extent of Lord Hermer's involvement in the Al-Sweady case after 2008 remains disputed. While the Government says his work was limited to less than a day, emails reportedly suggest a more substantial role. The resolution of this contradiction will be crucial in determining whether the misconduct allegations are upheld.