Families charged for Iraq inquest documents.

I have just read in todays Telegraph a story about the families of servicemen who have died during the Iraq war having to pay as much as £600 for documents used at the inquests into their deaths.

I don't know how to provide the link to the article, but It's easy enough to find.

This story doesn't surprise me at all, as I have explained in the past my son died in a RTA accident and not in Iraq, and we are still awaiting documents to be released before his inquest. We haven't been charged for any of them yet, but the ones that we really need to view have yet to be released to us, despite many requests. Oh, I suppose that we have been charged for them indirectly as we have had to employ a Solicitor to get to see them.

Crap way to treat families.

 

Link to article here

 

I sympathise with the families and believe that inquest document to immediate Next of Kin should be freely available.

This is pretty standard policy to recieve "redacted" copies blanking out names under Data Protection and places for Opsec purposes.

If information has been redacted which could have a serious bearing on the result of the inquest, or cause reasonable doubt to the verdict/decision this would be reasonable grounds to legally challenge IMO.

 

BAFF will look into inquest issues. BTW it is encouraging that Harriet Harman MP is taking an interest. To my personal knowledge she was both forceful and effective on a previous Constitutional Affairs/Defence issue.

D.Y.

 

There is also a slightly fuller report in todays Daily Mail.

 

When I applied for my service records back in January and just received them in November I noted that a fair amount was blanked out for DPA and OPSEC reasons.

So much so that they blanked out my service number and address!!

On enquiry to Glasgow they gave the excuse that I might have moved and the information would have been useful to another party??!! I'm confused that I might have to know my own address and service number at some stage in the future....maybe even where I lived??

Form over function as usual with the government and Glasgow in particular.


fastmedic

 

fastmedic,

When I eventually received my sons file from Glasgow, lots of it had been redacted, but the bizarre thing was that I had quite a few pages of someone elses medical details included, obviously by mistake. In fact it was about a friend of my sons from basic training, who still phones me, so I have half a dozen pages about him and his boils!!

Organised chaos.

 

Soldiersmum,

I too have copies of part 2 orders with full details of other personnel. I'm at a loss to determine what the criteria is for the underpaid and mentally challenged admin assistant in Glasgow applies to info requests

They as a group seem to make the rules up as they go along. Baffles me totally??

My sincere condolences on the sad loss of your son.



fastmedic

 

So much for the freedom of information act!Charging the loved ones of lads & lassies who gave their lives for this country to obtain paperwork they need is scandelous!The idiots who came up with this debacle should hang their heads in shame!!
The admin tosspots need a kick up the arrse!A few months ago,I recieved some paperwork from the ACF,in a MoD marked envelope with my name,rank & number on as well as my home adress! It seems that some idiot had sent out stuff to other Batt members in the same way!I promptly got on the blower & gave off.

 

Got to make some money up to pay for the MP's 66% pay rise!

 

Funny you mention that. I placed a SAR (Subject Access Release) through the Freedom of Information Act to the Ministry of Defence Police. Imagine my surprise at recieving the letter with all names "redacted" inclusive of the signature block and they left the letter head with the individuals name intact. Bottom of the class!!!!!