§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes will be made in courts martial as a result of the incorporation into UK law of the European Convention on Human Rights. [135060]
§ Mr. SpellarChanges have already been made so that courts martial procedures are compatible with Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which concerns the right to a fair trial. These were included in the Armed Forces Act 1996, which introduced reforms to reinforce the independence of the courts martial system. The changes came into effect on 1 April 1997.
No further changes to the legislation on the conduct of courts martial are planned as a result of the incorporation into UK law of the European Convention on Human Rights.