Verdict of the Week


Armed Forces Uniforms

Following Group Captain Rowena Atherton's ruling that servicemen must wear civilian clothes outside their RAF base in Wittering in Cambridgeshire, there has been a huge backlash against this ruling and at the time of going to press the she has refused to back down and has stood by this ruling.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the political situation in Iran and Afghanistan, we should feel rightfully proud about our service personnel. The Armed Forces of this country are some of the best trained, most disciplined and bravest people on the planet and they put their lives on the line for us day after day, and deserve as much home support as we can give.

It is understood that in certain situations, wearing a uniform can prove provocative, for instance, officers serving in Northern Ireland, used not to wear their uniforms when off duty, and all service personnel should respect and understand that there are certain sensitivities that they should be aware of and we must allow them to react according to local situations, but felt a total ban in this instance was an over reaction.

The eCourt team felt that the Armed Forces should be allowed to choose for themselves whether they want to wear their uniforms off duty or not. Obviously if they choose to wear their uniforms, then they should expect to be greeted accordingly. There will be some who appreciate the risks that the Armed Forces take to uphold the individual freedoms of this country, but they must also realise that because of those very freedoms, there are a small minority of citizens here, who will voice a contrary opinion against them. That is, and always has been, the case in a democratic country espousing the freedom of speech, and we should be thankful to live in a country that allows this kind of freedom.

Back