Former Australian servicemen have launched what has been seen as their final attempt to win compensation over British nuclear tests conducted in Australia more than 50 years ago.
The tests were carried out across several locations in the country, including Maralinga and Emu Field in South Australia and the Montebello Islands off the West Australian coast.
The application alleges that the Australian government has breached veterans' human rights in accordance with the universal declaration of human rights which was in place at the time of the tests in South Australia.
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"A lot of the time they were blindly sent in and exposed to radiation and the government knew that this radiation could potentially affect them and cause them significant health problems and they allowed it to happen. They allowed it to happen for the better part of a decade," said Joshua Dale, one of the lawyers representing the 295 military veterans.
The application does not include Indigenous civilians who were exposed to radiation.
Veterans have in the past been prevented from pursuing compensation claims from the federal government because too much time has passed for any case to be brought.
Last year, they were forced to go to Britain to add onto a class action with British veterans, which ultimately failed to bring any compensation proceedings.
The Human Rights Commission can make recommendations to the federal government, but has no power to compel it to compensate the victims.
However, Mr Dale said he hopes this last-ditch effort is enough to embarrass the government into doing something.
"Past governments, successive governments or the current government have shown that they are prepared to ignore these veterans and what they've been exposed to in the past.
"I think this is really the last attempt to really show them what they've done wrong in the past," Mr Dale said.
