nuclear-news

Nuclear bomb test veterans relaunch legal action

By Dominic Casciani, 20 Sept 23, BBC News

Veterans of the UK’s nuclear weapons tests are attempting to relaunch a battle for compensation a decade after being legally blocked from suing the government.

Campaigners say newly discovered documents suggest nuclear chiefs may have known the men suffered radioactive damage.

More than 22,000 personnel worked on detonations in Australia and the South Pacific in the 1950s and 1960s.

Campaigners believe personnel suffered cancers and had children with birth defects because of radiation……

In 2012, the Supreme Court narrowly ruled that more than 1,000 veterans could not sue the Ministry of Defence because they had run out of time to bring their case.

But recently found documents suggest the military have long held documents detailing blood and urine tests from personnel.

One of the documents seen by the campaign shows concerns about a pilot’s blood after he had been flying scientific instruments through mushroom clouds.

The men and their families now plan to take the Ministry of Defence to court because they believe there could be thousands more such records.

If the records exist and prove military chiefs suspected radiation damage, that could lead to a last attempt at getting compensation.

‘Guinea Pigs’

Eric Barton, 82, of the “Labrats” campaign group, said British personnel had been treated like guinea pigs.

He suffered cancer and received compensation from the American military because he had witnessed six test denotations of its bombs. But friends who witnessed British bombs have not received any money at all…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. more https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66869017

September 22, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, UK