![Former Chief of the Defence Force, Chris Barrie. Picture by Matt Loxton Former Chief of the Defence Force, Chris Barrie. Picture by Matt Loxton](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/106459643/31af6d60-7ff7-444b-bfb8-366454617d00.jpg/r0_153_3000_1846_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A former defence chief has declared a civil ruling finding Ben Roberts-Smith committed war crimes, including murder, a "good day" for the military, adding the future looked "better" because of it.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Former chief of the defence force Chris Barrie, who served as the military's top official for nearly four years until he retired in 2002, said the outcome shone a light on Defence's "force for good".
"I think the outcome is good for the defence force. It's good for the kinds of people we want to have in our defence force," the Admiral told The Canberra Times.
"What it shows is that it is important that we, you know, obey the rules of armed conflict. We want to be the kind of force that trades on that - be a force for good, as I would say.
"We now wait to see what happens with the real work of [the] Afghanistan fallout and that is the trials for war crimes."
His comments come just two days after a Federal Court judge ruled media reports alleging Mr Roberts-Smith had murdered, or was involved in murdering, civilians in Afghanistan were substantially true.
The Victoria Cross recipient attempted to sue three newspapers, including this masthead, for a series of articles in 2018 written by journalists, Chris Masters, Nick McKenzie and David Wroe.
The reports alleged, among other things, the special forces soldier had kicked a handcuffed prisoner off a cliff in Afghanistan in 2012 before ordering a subordinate to kill him.
Mr Roberts-Smith has 42 days to appeal the Federal Court's ruling.
READ MORE:
Senior military leaders and politicians have largely remained silent following the verdict, with both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles declining to comment.
Opposition defence spokesperson Andrew Hastie, also a former special services soldier who served in Afghanistan, has also declined to comment.
Admiral Barrie said it was an important ruling for those within defence - the majority - who wanted to be a force for good.
He also thanked the journalists who pushed for it come to light.
"I think we owe a great debt to Chris Masters, particularly, and Nick McKenzie, for having been persistent despite the odds," Admiral Barrie said.
"The ruling really shows that getting it out and dealing with it is much more important than trying to cover it up and bury up.
"I think that's always been so I think it is a good day and I think our future looks better because of it."
Earlier this week, Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell revealed senior US officials had raised concerns with Australia that alleged war crimes by special forces troops in Afghanistan could derail joint military operations.
General Campbell told a Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday he was contacted about the allegations by an American senior official in March 2021, who warned credible evidence of war crimes, as outlined in the Brereton report, could trigger the Leahy Law.
The law prevents US armed forces from providing assistance to partner units or organisations that violated human rights with impunity.
While there was a "precautionary period" between the country's militaries over the issue, General Campbell said it had reached a "conclusion" in March 2022.