Court martial for Navy medic conscientious objector
A medic in the Royal Navy will face court martial on Monday 4 July despite declaring that he is a conscientious objector.
response to Armed Forces Day
ForcesWatch letter to the press
Today [Saturday 25 June] is Armed Forces Day, one of the clearest examples of the creeping militarisation of British society.
EVENTS July 2011: Challenging military presence in schools and colleges
A series of meetings organised by ForcesWatch on YOUNG PEOPLE AND MILITARISM IN THE U.S. AND U.K.: CHALLENGING MILITARY PRESENCE IN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES with U.S. speaker, Oskar Castro plus David Gee, Ben Griffin, School Students Against the War and others
Campaigners and churches back Armed Forces Bill amendments on recruiting children into the armed forces
Organisations and churches who have questioned the recruitment of under 18s into the armed forces are backing an amendment which could see children no longer able to enlist and bring the UK into line with international standards.
Teenage soldiers given right to discharge
Quakers have been central to a campaign that resulted in a change to government policy last week, as a minister announced that teenage soldiers will be given the right to discharge at any time before turning eighteen.
Under-18s discharge rules to change
The Ministry of Defence is set to make it easier for personnel under the age of 18 to leave the armed forces, it has been announced.
‘MoD unfairly imprisons teenagers’
Teenage soldiers have been unfairly detained in military prisons due to a failure from the MoD to effectively implemenent discharge policies, the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers has said.
Joint Human Rights Committee report state that Armed Forces Bill gives opportunity for debate on service of under-18s
The report from the JHRC on the Armed Forces Bill 'raises a number of significant human rights concerns in connection with the Bill' and 'calls on the Government to clarify the arrangements for the discharge of under-18s from the Armed Forces and to amend the service commitment made by under-18s to bring it in line with the commitment made by recruits of other ages.'
Campaigners welcome new right to leave the armed forces for under-18s
ForcesWatch press release
The government has today promised to give teenage soldiers the right to leave the armed forces up until age 18 if they are unhappy. ForcesWatch and other NGOs have been campaigning on this and other issues relating to under-18s in the armed forces as the Arned Forces Bill does through parliament.