Originally Posted by themaadone

under certain circumstances the RMP and or the Int Corps can come after you with or without the help of CivPol.

Last time I had a visit from one of them I was rather ill all over her Presume they will send a new one next time

Apparently

Personnel must first go through their line manager or chain of command to ensure the material furthers Defence interests, check the material is unclassified, that there are no operational concerns and that the cost and effort is justified.

My italics. It seems that what they are really saying is that they want to choose not to allow anything that isn't a happy-happy Soldier-stylee story into the public domain.

As to the bit about cost and effort, what business is it of MoD if someone chooses to pay for some webspace and write a blog in their own time? Or is this nonsense just badly written?

Still, whilst professional journalists may find it slightly harder to check facts, Tom Newton-Dung and his ilk will have no problem, as they'll continue to make it all up anyway.

Originally Posted by ViroBono

Apparently

Personnel must first go through their line manager or chain of command to ensure the material furthers Defence interests, check the material is unclassified, that there are no operational concerns and that the cost and effort is justified.

My italics. It seems that what they are really saying is that they want to choose not to allow anything that isn't a happy-happy Soldier-stylee story into the public domain.

As to the bit about cost and effort, what business is it of MoD if someone chooses to pay for some webspace and write a blog in their own time? Or is this nonsense just badly written?

Still, whilst professional journalists may find it slightly harder to check facts, Tom Newton-Dung and his ilk will have no problem, as they'll continue to make it all up anyway.

Ah - now there's the genius in it... you can create extra bureaucracy, just as long as your department doesn't have to filter it..!

Ah - now there's the genius in it... you can create extra bureaucracy, just as long as your department doesn't have to filter it..!

Yes Minister.....

So is this as a response to the HMS Cornwall Fiasco , that was top-down as I remember , or are they getting in early before Future Really Expensive Shambles?

Contrary to some thoughts, I don't think they'd write a new DIN just for this sort of thing......

MoD reckons:

The Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998 is one of the most significant pieces of constitutional legislation to be enacted in the United Kingdom. It incorporates into national law those parts of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) that concern individual rights and responsibilities. It is a provision of the HRA that all public authorities (which includes the Armed Forces) must act compatibly with the Articles of the ECHR

http://www.army.mod.uk/servingsoldie...rts_gen_w.html

See articles 9, 10 & 11.

Since the Musa case we now know that the generality of the HRA applies to the Armed forces wherever they may be and whatever they do. But there are of course lots of carve outs, OSA and in effect mini OSA's which are departmental specific. Net effect is that the HRA does not have a single application for all and will vary by reference to individual status and also a lot of unresolved questions as to the legality of the UK interpretation of these carve outs and also domestic legislation in the context of European Law.

Presumably those who drafted this obnoxious stuff congratulated themselves on having something China would be proud of. But have they managed to wholly clarify the impact in the context of the morass that is practical application of the HRA? Might say so but I for one very much doubt that.

This gives an idea of how messy it is

http://www.yourrights.org.uk/your-ri...-service.shtml

This could be really interesting for married soldiers.

Just imagine a guy packing his kit and walking out the door. Wife asks "Where the feck are you going then?" Reply, "Sorry love, you are a civvy I can't talk to your about defence matters."

I can just see the divorce rates soaring yet again.

Originally Posted by Auld-Yin

This could be really interesting for married soldiers.

Just imagine a guy packing his kit and walking out the door. Wife asks "Where the feck are you going then?" Reply, "Sorry love, you are a civvy I can't talk to your about defence matters."

Outstanding. And even if she does ask "what's in the bag?" I'm not allowed to tell her that it contains my overnight kit for a stay at the girlfriend's/rugby kit for a 3 month tour to Thailand/my last victim.

Gleaming.

On the subject of equipment, Mr MacDowall adds: "There is a growing perception that - particularly on operations - our Armed Forces are not as well equipped as they should be and that we do not look after our people as well as we should."

And the best way to bridge that percieved/alleged capability gap is to shut people up and issue happy-smiley press releases.

So get with the programme and quit yer bitchin' .

All the problems of kit and equipment and conditions can be dealt with, with a happy-smiley press release. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword

I suspect the journo's are going to have a field day with this one. (Can I say field day?)

Especially if they percieve any inequalities whatsoever in how informaton is disseminated.