We represent the Iraq War Families Campaign Group, campaigning for the families of the 179 servicemen and women killed in the Iraq War.

The beginning of our campaign

Last year, with the support of 5,148 generous backers we successfully raised the money we needed to kickstart our campaign on CrowdJustice. 

This was so our lawyers could determine whether legal action can be brought against those responsible for sending our loved ones to fight and die in an unjust and unnecessary war.
 
Thanks to you, we are pleased to announce that our legal team, McCue & Partners, one of our country's leading human rights and public interest law firms, has finished the mammoth task of a full and forensic legal analysis of the evidence contained in the Chilcot Report's 2.6 million words, 5000 pages and 12 volumes.

Importantly, we are pleased to announce they have confirmed that the evidence supports the case that certain state officials might have acted unlawfully and be liable for  wrongdoing; particularly,  misfeasance in public office.

This would not have been possible without the incredible generosity and support of the public. Some of the very kind and generous messages of support we gratefully received below:

"You are doing a great service to the memory of our lost soldiers and to our country. Thank you all."

"Well done and good luck in the future in getting justice for those men who have so gallantly fought for our country. We will always remember them all, as we still remember all the men and women who went into battle for us during the great wars of our land. God bless them all and God bless you."

"Very well done and once again good luck with your case. I really, really hope that justice can be done."

Why we're raising again

The fact that the evidence supports legal action moves us one step closer to our goal.  However, the facts have also presented an issue of great constitutional importance that must be fully and carefully resolved before we can issue any proceedings.  To do so, we need the assistance of additional expert counsel.

This issue is all the more significant because, as you will be aware, in 2016 the UK experienced major changes.  In the past few months there have been significant court judgments, including the Supreme Court’s Article 50 decision, that must inevitably inform our legal team’s approach.

All this has to be taken into account and our legal arguments finalised to ensure we are able to take the next step.

With your help, we can raise the £22,000 needed to add the additional expert counsel to our legal team and for them to carry out the work necessary to determine conclusively if we can advance to the next stage.

On behalf of Matthew, Tom, and the 177 others killed in Iraq – we truly thank you for your support.

How your contribution will help

After 6 years of delays, in 2015 we threatened the Iraq Inquiry with legal action. As a result, we succeeded in getting agreement to a timetable for publication, and the eventual publication of the Chilcot Report on the 6th of July. This was a truly historic moment in our nation’s history.  We are now imploring you to help us seek justice.  Not only for the sake of our children, siblings, parents and spouses, whose lives we can never get back, but to deter our state officials from ever again abusing their positions with such tragic and far-reaching consequences.

Your kind contribution will mean that we will be able to prepare our case as fully as possible. Once this has been done, we can try to obtain legal aid to take the case to trial. If the state will not grant us legal aid, we may have to return to the public to raise further funds.

It has already been reported that those we may prosecute will have their legal costs automatically paid for by the state. If we are to succeed, we will need to be equally resourced.

If, for any reason, we determine we cannot proceed, we will be able to rest in the knowledge that we have left no stone unturned and taken our campaign for justice on behalf of our loved ones as far as possible. In either instance, your support and generosity will have been of great importance.

The background to our case

Following the publication of the Chilcot Report, we are seeking justice on behalf of our loved ones who needlessly lost their lives in the Iraq War.  

We wish to bring those state officials responsible to account and, by doing so, ensure such a tragedy that has caused such far-reaching and long-term damage, both to our country and world-wide, never happens again.

There is no prospect of the case being referred to the International Criminal Court.  As time passes, it is increasingly unlikely that the state will carry out any arrests or prosecutions.  Parliament has voted not to take any action, such as impeachment.

Our only hope is for the Families to bring private legal action. It is down to us.