Theresa May wants to introduce an automatic "opt out" from the European convention on Bayohuman rights (ECHR) for British military involved in future conflicts.
SEE ALSO: Thousands of gay men could finally be pardoned for historical 'offences'The aim is to "put an end to the industry of vexatious claims" that has seen veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars pursued on allegations of mistreatment and abuse of fighters and prisoners, May said.
The government would introduce a "presumption to derogate" from the ECHR in warfare, it stated.
"Our legal system has been abused to level false charges against our troops on an industrial scale," Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said.
"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."
Since the jurisdiction of the ECHR was extended to conflict zones, the Ministry of Defence has spent more than £100 million on Iraq-related investigations, the government said.
Some 326 cases have been settled with the payment of around £20m in compensation.
Under the rules of the Council of Europe, which oversees the ECHR, it is allowed to derogate from the convention in times of war. Ukraine, France and Turkey gave notice of a derogation in the past few years. Certain convention rights, such as the prohibition against torture, remain in place.
The government's plans have come under fire from civil rights groups.
Calling the European convention the "fundamental, effective safeguard against the abuses of power" during wartime, Liberty said the move would leave soldiers and foreign civilians at risk of human rights abuses.
"Our government has a duty not only to implement it during its own military operations, but to uphold its standards as an example to others -- both friends and foes," Martha Spurrier, the director of Liberty, said.
“To save the Ministry of Defence from the shame of having to admit that civilians suffered abuse on its watch, ministers are prepared to rob our soldiers of this sensible legal framework that both clarifies their use of force and offers them redress when their own rights are breached," she added. "For a supposedly civilised nation, this is a pernicious and retrograde step that will embolden our enemies and alienate our allies.”
Best Presidents' Day deal: Save $250 on Peloton Bike
Quiet Magic by The Paris Review
All You Have to Do Is Die by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
A Holy Terror Dancing with Light: On Jim Harrison by Joy Williams
Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks 2025 livestream: Watch NBA online
Redux: No Human Tongue by The Paris Review
The Curlews of Galloway by Patrick Laurie
Best Dyson deal: Save $320 on the Dyson Zone Active Noise
11 Tech Products That Were Supposed to Fail... But Didn't
Wild Apples by Lauren Groff
Blockchain Explained: How It Works, Who Cares and What Its Future May Hold
Take Place by Terry Tempest Williams
Eavesdropping in the Archives: Six Artist Portraits by Aisha Sabatini Sloan and Lester Sloan
Bezos as Novelist by Mark McGurl
'The Traitors' Season 3's latest banishment has me fuming
Why Spotify's 'daylist' is all over Instagram stories
Three Letters for beyond the Walls by Caio Fernando Abreu
Fourteenth and Jackson by José Vadi
Obama photographer Pete Souza on Trump: 'We failed our children'
On the Alert for Omens: Rereading Charles Portis by Rosa Lyster
Dictionary schools Trump on the difference between 'counsel' and 'council'Sonos owners can now blast tunes from free streaming radio serviceWhat is the best superhero movie?IFA Berlin pivots to an 'innovative new concept' due to coronavirus pandemicDonald Trump breaks his silence on medical marijuanaBig iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard is way heavier than you'd wantOil prices may be at allZoom to improve encryption and security controls in version 5.0 updateTwitter is testing a feature that will let you see quote retweetsBoston Dynamics robot dogs help coronavirus patientsZoom to improve encryption and security controls in version 5.0 updateFree Comic Book Day is now a geek family affair and here's the proofA bunch of bored people found Illuminati symbols in Macron's victory speechAmazon scans warehouse workers for fevers using thermal camerasGamers report unauthorized access to their Nintendo accountsApple reportedly ready to launch new AirPods in May 2020Google Assistant is rolling out voice detection sensitivity controlsKaty Perry says anyone looking for Taylor Swift drama on her new album will find a blank spaceThis game invites you to smash down China's great internet firewallNo surprise: iPhone SE shipments might be delayed Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals 2023: The 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' bundle is back Different Forms of Illumination: An Interview with Hermione Hoby Best Black Friday vacuum deals for Thanksgiving 2023: Shark, Dyson, and more Hulu's $1 Black Friday deal is back Watching Screwball Comedies with Harry Mathews Willa Cather, Pioneer Best deals of the day March 2: M2 Mac mini, Amazon Halo Rise, LG CordZero A9 Kompressor, and more Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele in Conversation “Even poverty is ancient history”: Resurrection City, 1968 by Jill Freedman Cooking with Naguib Mahfouz Raising a Glass to Fred Bass, the Strand’s Iconic Owner Portrait of a Friendship How the BDSM community is getting creative in the cost of living crisis Black Friday unlocked phone deals: Apple, Samsung, more Cooking with Ursula K. Le Guin Best Black Friday Roomba deals 2023 The Art of Unpacking a Library The Real Scandal in Academia The Sultan, the Armenian, and the Gaslight Mystery Corsets and Cotillions: An Evening with the Jane Austen Society