In response to today’s announcement that the government intends to change the Armed Forces compensation scheme, David Robinson, senior serious injury solicitor at Thompsons Solicitors said: “Extending the scope of the government’s no-fault scheme for service personnel is a welcome step to ensure those injured during active conflict receive a fair amount of compensation to help deal with life-changing injuries. However, the suggestion that this should replace scrutiny from the Court is misguided and dangerous.

“The current system means injured personnel get the compensation they need to adapt housing, fit prosthetic replacement, receive support and counselling, as well as other forms of rehabilitation. The focus is on the individual’s needs rather than adopting this ‘one size fits all’ approach which could see many of our brave servicemen and women losing out if they’re injured through no fault of their own.

“It is disappointing that this government is seeking to bypass judicial intervention and instead trying to have exclusive control over who gets compensation and how much they receive.

“This is another example of the government trying to limit judicial scrutiny and access to justice for people who have been injured. Rather than seeking to cut out criticism from the Courts, this government should focus on reducing the causes of military service injuries, a significant proportion of which are avoidable training situations.”