Relatives of Iraqi dead win hearing (in London's High Court)

Relatives of Iraqi dead win hearing
From correspondents in London
12may04

THE families of 13 people allegedly killed by British troops in Iraq won the right today to challenge the government in court.

Sitting in London's High Court today, Justice Lawrence Collins agreed that the 13 families could challenge the government's refusal to hold independent inquiries into the deaths, and ordered an urgent hearing to begin in June or July.

Lawyer Phil Shiner said the hearing would examine whether Human Rights law applied to British forces in southeast Iraq, and whether the government had a duty to hold independent inquiries into the deaths.

A ruling in favour of the families could pave the way for compensation and possible criminal proceedings for unlawful killing.

"The way things are going in Iraq, it seems to me in everyone's interest that this point of principle is decided as soon as possible," the judge said.

(more)

http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,9540273%255E1702,00.html

That's great, thank god there are still some judiciaries left on earth willing to at least consider the possibility that their nationals - even those in uniform - bear accountability for their actions. Admittedly, I don't think it's inappropriate to consider that these soldiers were operating under war conditions and that is genuinely a bona fide extenuating circumstance, but it shouldn't relieve one altogether of having to make good on mistakes one makes. If one isn't willing to accept responsibility for one's blunders, one has no business starting a war. The alternative is impunity for soldiers to commit whatever atrocities their fear or anxiety or hatred may cause them to consider reasonable at the time, and that's not a very attractive eventuality.