Part of Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill - Committee (2nd Day) – in the House of Lords at 4:45 pm on 11 March 2021.
Moved by Lord Tunnicliffe
30: After Clause 12, insert the following new Clause—“Access to legal aid for service personnel in criminal proceedings Within 12 months of this Act coming into force, the Secretary of State shall commission an independent evaluation of access to legal aid for members and former members of the regular and reserve forces and of British overseas territory forces to whom section 369(2) of the Armed Forces Act 2006 (members of British overseas territories' forces serving with UK forces) applies, in relation to criminal legal proceedings in connection with operations of the armed forces outside the British Islands, and lay a copy of the evaluation report before each House of Parliament.”Member’s explanatory statementThis new Clause would require the Government to commission and publish an independent evaluation of service personnel’s access to legal aid in relation to the criminal proceedings covered by the provisions in the Bill.
