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Guidance

Service Police Legacy Investigations

SPLI investigations into allegations made by Iraqi civilians of serious criminal behaviour by UK Armed Forces in Iraq.

Updates to this page

From:
Ministry of Defence
Published:
8 August 2017
Last updated:
12 December 2025
Show all updates

  1. Updated "SPLI work completed (table)" pdf attachment

  2. Addition of SPLI quarterly updates for 1 July to 30 September 2020 and 30 September to 16 November 2020.

  3. Updated the contact number and address.

  4. Added the Quarterly for April to June 2020.

  5. Updated the information for complainants table.

  6. Added 5 Arabic report translations.

  7. Added the SPLI quarterly update: 1 January 2020 to 31 March 2020.

  8. Updated Information for complainants table as of 22 April 2020.

  9. Added 5 Quarterly reports in Arabic and added the SPLI privacy notice.

  10. Addition of: SPLI quarterly update: 1 October to 31 December 2019.

  11. Replacement guidance page for making a complaint including Arabic information added.

  12. Added the SPLI quarterly update: 30 June to 30 September 2019.

  13. Added the SPLI quarterly update: 31 March to 30 June 2019.

  14. Updated the information for complainants table.

  15. Added the SPLI Quarterly report for 1 January to 31 March 2019.

  16. Added SPLI quarterly update: 30 September to 31 December 2018

  17. Updated information for complainants table

  18. Updated information for complainants table

  19. Updated information for complainants document.

  20. Updated contact details.

  21. Added translation

  22. Added SPLI quarterly update: 1 July to 30 September 2018 and updated the SPLI Information for complainants table.

  23. Updated the information for complainants table.

  24. Updated the complainants table and information for September 2018.

  25. Updated the information for complainants table.

  26. Added the Quarterly Report dated 1 April to 30 June 2018.

  27. Updated the information complainants table.

  28. Added SPLI Quarterly Update: 1 January to 31 March 2018.

  29. Added SPLI Quarterly Reports for 1 July to 31 December 2017.

  30. Updated table for 'Information for complainants' section.

  31. First published.

Service Police Legacy Investigations (SPLI), which was led by a senior Royal Navy Police Officer, met the government’s legal duty to investigate allegations made by Iraqi civilians of serious criminal behaviour by UK armed forces in Iraq.

In February 2017, the Secretary of State for Defence announced that the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) would close and any remaining Iraq legacy investigations would be reintegrated into the service police system. SPLI took over these remaining investigations at the beginning of July 2017. Cases that were closed, or in the process of being closed, before, and up to, 30 June 2017 will be updated on the former IHAT website.

What work did SPLI carry out?

Following the closure of IHAT, service personnel, made up of Royal Navy Police and Royal Air Force Police, considered any remaining legacy investigations which look at the alleged behaviour of UK armed forces in Iraq from 2003 to 2009.

Information for complainants

Complainants can find information about their case in this table: SPLI information for claimants (PDF, 111 KB, 3 pages)

Work completed

Since SPLI took on the remaining legacy cases, on 1 July 2017, it has closed 1,291 allegations. SPLI used a detailed investigative strategy looking at every claim to ensure that credible allegations of criminality were investigated. They weeded out claims where there was not a case to answer or it was considered not proportionate to conduct a full investigation.

You can access the table showing the work SPLI has completed here: SPLI work completed (table) (PDF, 166 KB, 21 pages). This table only shows those cases that have closed after reaching full investigation.

Quarterly reports

Written summaries issued by SPLI on progress made are available below.

Contact us

You can write to the Ministry of Defence at the following address:

Directorate of Judicial Engagement Policy
Level 3 – Zone I
MOD Main Building
Whitehall
London SW1A 2HB

You can also contact us by email: DJEP-TOresponses@mod.gov.uk

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