British war crimes

British war crimes are proven acts by the armed forces of the United Kingdom which have violated the laws and customs of war since the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. Such acts have included the summary executions of prisoners of war and unarmed shipwreck survivors, the use of excessive force during the interrogation of POWs and enemy combatants, and the use of violence against civilian non-combatants and their property.‌ Although numerous documented cases are known, British war crimes remain less widely known than those committed by the armed forces of other nations.

In commenting on the alleged massacre of a shipwrecked U-Boat crew during World War I, historian Geoffrey Brooks alleged that an unofficial policy has contributed to this. According to Brooks, "It is not, and never has been, the practice of the British military authorities to try British service personnel for alleged war crimes committed against enemy belligerents in wartime no matter how strong the evidence." However, numerous British service personnel have been subjected to court martial proceedings and in some cases convicted and even executed for war crimes. Furthermore, questions about war crimes have also been raised by Opposition MPs in the House of Commons, particularly during the Second Boer War and the Irish War of Independence.

War crimes are defined as acts which violate the laws and customs of war (established by the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907), or acts that are grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and and . The Fourth Geneva Convention extends the protection of civilians and prisoners of war during military occupation, even in the case where there is no armed resistance, for the period of one year after the end of hostilities, although the occupying power should be bound to several provisions of the convention as long as "such Power exercises the functions of government in such territory."

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