The leadership candidates have been urged to act quickly in bringing in new safeguards after a new Policy Exchange report said troops were at risk from “unfair” legal processes. Entitled ‘Protecting Those Who Serve’, the report was published to coincide with Saturday’s Armed Forces Day. The aim of it is to protect veterans from prosecutions into Troubles-related deaths.

Experts also hope it will also help limit the extra-territorial reach of the Human Rights Act into past operations in the Middle East.

It states that “political authorities should stand ready to resist judgments of the European Court of Human Rights”.

Mr Johnson, the frontrunner to become the UK’s next Prime Minister, said some veterans had been “persecuted”.

He added: “I have long argued the way some service personnel and veterans have been persecuted in our judicial system turns the stomach.

“We must work harder to honour our commitment to those who’ve served our country.

“We also risk the credibility of our Armed Forces in the eyes of our allies – rendering ourselves vulnerable by permitting the growth of ‘lawfare’.”

Mr Hunt also welcomed the report.

The Foreign Secretary grew up in a naval family and spoke of how he personally knew how much is “owed to our service men and women”.

He said: “On this Armed Forces Day we’re reminded of the bravery and sacrifice of those who serve our country in uniform.

“We owe it to our forces and veterans to resolve these issues with all possible speed.”

On the campaign trial, Mr Hunt also promised to cut job taxes for those ho serve in the armed forces.

His plan would renounce employer national insurance contributions on veterans for five years after they leave the service to help them gain employment.

He described the fact veterans are twice as likely to be unemployed as a “national scandal”.

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