Investigations into past actions by British forces, from Northern Ireland to Afghanistan, are damaging morale, leading some to quit the forces, and threatening our national security.

So said 8 retired generals and a retired Air Marshal in an open letter calling on the government to “restore legal clarity” with a “new honest framework”

Sitrep asks how do we can ensure servicemen and women have confidence they won’t be dragged through inquiries, or court, for doing their job properly?

Kate and Mike talk to the Reverend Nicholas Mercer, who was Commander Legal for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and former Army officer turned barrister Patrick Hennessey. They explain how legal decisions worked when they were in uniform and the need to balance protections with accountability when wrongdoing happens.

EXTRA - Bernard Cornwell, the master military storyteller