Britain is taking a huge step in defying the EU - and it has nothing to do with money or immigration

Lianna Brinded

Oct 4, 2016, 12:18 IST

REUTERS/Phil Noble

UK prime minister Theresa May.

Britain's ruling Conservative government is going to announce plans on Tuesday to protect Britain's armed forces from legal claims made against them for actions during war.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon is expected to announce at the Tory party conference in Birmingham new measures to protect soldiers from being sued or going to prison.

Fallon will say that most of the "vexatious" legal claims against soldiers that "risk their lives to protect us" come from those using the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the UK government's new move will effectively suspend Article Two (right to life) and Article Five (right to liberty) during future conflicts - another huge post-Brexit blow to the European Union.

"Our legal system has been abused to level false charges against our troops on an industrial scale," Fallon will say in his speech.

"It has caused significant distress to people who risked their lives to protect us, it has cost the taxpayer millions and there is a real risk it will stop our armed forces doing their job."

Former Army captain and now Tory MP Johnny Mercer tweeted his support for the government's new measure:

Delighted to have some success on this. This affects operational capability; we now have a more effective Military than we did before this. pic.twitter.com/9ZVUa2kwlf
- Johnny Mercer MP (@JohnnyMercerMP) October 3, 2016

Fallon will say that the new legal measure will be "an important step towards putting that right."

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon gives a press conference on April 9, 2015 in London, England. Mr Fallon answered questions from the press on the UK's commitment to spending 2% of GDP on defence, and on the future of Trident. Campaigning continues in what is predicted to be Britain's closest national election, which will take place on May 7.

Human rights laws under the EU's European Convention on Human Rights has been a bone of contention for many Brits and some in the Conservative government for some time. It may have been a part of why some people voted for a Brexit on June 23.

Many people argue that the human rights acts puts people in danger and does not deliver justice.

Britain's Ministry of Defence has spent around £100 million on investigations, inquiries and compensation related to the Iraq war, which has led to soldiers being prosecuted for anything from ill-treatment during detention to death by shooting during the conflict since 2004.

War crime claims made against British troops in Afghanistan have also hit around 600.