MoD extends legal protection to ten shipwreck war graves
On 8th April 2008 the Ministry of Defence announced that it will be extending additional legal protection to ten shipwrecks under the Protection of Military Remains Act, including two merchant ships. This means that the final resting places of more than 750 people who lost their lives at sea should now be protected from interference by divers.
The announcement follows the decision of the Court of Appeal in R (on the application of (1) Rosemary Fogg (2) Valerie Ledgard) v Secretary of State for Defence [2007] QB 96 in which Michael Pooles QC, Head of Hailsham Chambers, represented the family of one of the men who lost their lives on the SS Storaa in challenging the Minister's decision that ships of the merchant marine did not fall within the group of vessels in respect of which protection could be ordered. Further details can be found on the MoD website
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