Cases against British troops in Iraq to be reviewed after solicitor Phil Shiner struck off for dishonesty

Allegations against British soldiers will be reviewed after a human rights lawyer has been struck off for acting dishonestly over false abuse claims in Iraq.

Cases brought by Phil Shiner will be reviewed by the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) following a tribunal hearing which the organisation said "casts serious doubt on the reliability of some of the remaining allegations".

Former Solicitor of the Year Phil Shiner brought murder and torture claims against veterans that were debunked by the £31 million, five-year-long Al-Sweady inquiry.

A professional standards tribunal that examined his conduct during the inquiry upheld 12 charges of misconduct against him, including five allegations of dishonesty.

They included agreeing to pay "sweeteners" to a fixer to persuade him to change his evidence to the Al-Sweady Inquiry.

Shiner had brought some of the most serious abuse allegations faced by the British Army in decades

He represented Iraqi civilians who claimed they were abused by British soldiers.

The Al-Sweady Inquiry dismissed the allegations and exonerated British troops.

Phil Shiner has been struck off the roll of solicitors as a result of the tribunal ruling. Credit: PA

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal previously heard Shiner earned his firm more than £1.6 million from an improper deal carving up fees from pursuing the abuse claims.

Shiner, who worked for the now-defunct Public Interest Lawyers (PIL), had already admitted nine allegations of acting without integrity, including making "unsolicited direct approaches" to potential clients.

He did not attend the hearing, having written to the tribunal to say he was unwell and could not afford to pay for a defence lawyer.

Phil Shiner first released images of alleged abuse during the Iraq conflict in 2007. Credit: PA

Shiner accepted he would be struck off the roll of solicitors as a result of the case, which could lead to criminal charges being taken over his conduct.

The case against him is thought to be one of the most expensive ever brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said: "Justice has finally been served after we took the unprecedented step of submitting evidence on his abuse of our legal system.

"Phil Shiner made soldiers’ lives a misery by pursuing false claims of torture and murder – now he should apologise. We will study any implications for outstanding legal claims closely."