Iraqi civilians win landmark legal case in UK

The British law lords issued an important ruling, defending the Human Rights Act. The end result is that Iraqi citizens who are captured by British troops will have rights under the law and can pursue any violations in the European courts. The Blair government and the UK Ministry of Defence fought against extending these rights, ignoring a 1972 ban against extreme interrogation and insisting that the Human Rights Act would not apply. The case was specifically in response to Baha Mousa, an Iraqi citizen who died after being beaten to death by British soldiers.

The law lords ruling now means that besides actions in Iraq, future overseas military actions will also be covered so that citizens can seek justice at the European Court of Human Rights. The family of Baha Mousa and others will still have to pursue their case in both UK and EU courts though it is now clear that the citizens in such circumstances will be supported by the rule of law and not the whim of a political leader.