[JURIST] The UK Ministry of Defense [official website] confirmed Tuesday that it has reached a settlement with an Iraqi teenage civilian who was paralyzed in an accidental shooting in Basra in 2003. The plaintiff, who was 13 at the time of the shooting, had filed a civil negligence action in the UK High Court after relocating to the UK. The final terms of the settlement still have to be approved by the court, but the plaintiff is expected to receive £2 million in compensation from the Defense Ministry. The plaintiff was shot when a British soldier accidentally dropped and discharged his firearm.

The MoD has said the circumstances of the case were exceptional and should not considered a precedent for future cases. The family of Iraqi hotel receptionist Baha Musa [Herald report; JURIST news archive], who died in British military custody in 2003, has also filed suit against the Ministry. In March, Defense Secretary Des Browne said that the Ministry will admit "substantive breaches" [Times Online report] of Musa's protected right to life and prohibition on torture under the European Convention on Human Rights [text]. Musa suffered 93 separate injuries and died after 36 hours under British military custody. BBC News has more.