A Midlands solicitor is trying to coordinate national efforts to ensure armed forces veterans are able to enforce their extra rights.

David Hawley, a member of the East Midlands Veterans Advisory Committee, said there are concerns among colleagues that former soldiers will miss out on the benefits of the Armed Forces Act, which enshrines in law a duty on public bodies when making decisions on housing, health care and education.

Authorities are supposed to pay due regard to the three principles of the act’s covenant, which recognise the unique sacrifices of the armed forces, recognise it is desirable to remove disadvantages suffered by them, and recognise that special provision may be justified.

These principles, in theory, must be kept in mind at all times when formulating policy or taking decision, and Hawley said that solicitors must take responsibility for holding the government to account.

He explained that no new enforcement mechanism is planned, so any veteran will have to use existing complaints procedures and bodies like the appropriate ombudsman. If issues are still unresolved then there would have to be a judicial review.

He said: ‘We anticipate JR is obviously going to be expensive and so the service person would need the assistance of a firm of solicitors who could bring the claim on a legal aid basis. We therefore want to invite applications from firms who would like to join the panel.’

Hawley, a solicitor with Leicester firm Frisby & Small LLP, will organised for panel firms to be allocated based on their region. If any firm wants to come forward to help then they should contact him at dhawley@frisbysmall.co.uk.