Labour: new measures to make insulting military personnel a criminal offence He added: "Next month in Parliament we will table amendments to the Defence Reform Bill so that for the first time ever it would be a specific criminal offence to attack members of our Armed Forces, ensuring they are treated with the dignity that their bravery deserves. I want the Forces to feel at ease in our country. A poll of troops last year found that nearly one in 20 members of the Armed Forces said they had experienced violence or threats of violence. Of the troops polled, around 20 per cent also said that members of the public had shouted abuse at them while they were wearing their uniform. Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, last year conceded that there was "still more we can do" to ensure that troops are treated "with the dignity they deserve."