British nuclear tests in the south Pacific are a subject of controversy though rarely talked about. According to a report, in 2011 the British supreme court agreed in theory to the idea of compensating military personnel who were involved in nuclear bomb tests during the 1950’s though they had to prove their health problems were related to the nuclear tests. The initial case reportedly consisted of over a thousand ex-military men versus the mod. The soldiers were seeking compensation for health problems such as cancer, skin defects and fertility problems they say were linked to nuclear tests in the south Pacific: A document dated 1956 describes tests using 24 soldiers who were wearing protective clothing being purposely exposed to high amounts of radiation.
According to a report, in 2010 the Australian government paid compensation amounting to Aus $24.2 million to Australian military personnel who took part in a British nuclear testing program.
Reportedly the Australian and British governments spent Aus $108 million decontaminating the Maralinga and Emu sites. According to the report, in 1986 the Australian government paid just Aus $500,000 to indigenous populations for land contaminated during the course of the British testing program. In 1991 the Australian government paid the Maralinga Tjarutju people Aus $13.5 million for displacing them from their land. People living in surrounding areas are also thought to have been affected via airborne radiation. In 2010 the Aboriginal legal rights movement were intending to sue the British government.