An open letter is being drafted for Members of Parliament by Larry Marshall, a long-time opponent of Bermuda’s conscription regime, in opposition to legislation that would keep conscription on the books.

The Defence Amendment Bill 2015, tabled in the House of Assembly by Michael Dunkley, is “appalling” in its retention of the conscription option, Mr Marshall said.

“After castigating the Progressive Labour Party during his years in Opposition for not dealing with this matter, the Premier is now basically saying that conscription will not end,” he added.

The amendments to the Defence Act tabled last week were praised by the Nine Colonels, a group of former Royal Bermuda Regiment commanding officers, who said there was “compelling good sense” in dropping conscription through a change in policy — but not by dropping it from the Act.

“This allows the community maximum flexibility in dealing with the Royal Bermuda Regiment and its role to serve the community, as we have said many times,” the group said.

“A change in the law might well have put Bermuda of the future in danger of not being able to sustain the Regiment as a viable unit.”

Clause four of the amendment states that when voluntary enlistment leaves a shortfall in the required number of members, “the Governor, after consulting with the Minister and the Defence Board, may revise the role and responsibilities to take account of the shortfall in numbers or provide for conscription of the required number of members in accordance to the principal Act”.

“After the promise to end conscription in four successive Throne Speeches, this is a complete U-turn,” Mr Marshall said.

“It is the epitome of dishonesty. The ball is now in the Premier’s court, and he has failed the young men of this country miserably. It remains on the book, which means that a jail sentence hangs over the head of every conscript.”

Last week, the Regiment announced that the January 2016 recruit camp would be the first in the body’s history to be composed entirely of volunteers.

Commanding Officer Lt Col Michael Foster-Brown said that between 50 and 60 people had volunteered for the camp which, in addition to a large number of soldiers extending their service, made the use of conscripted soldiers unnecessary.

However, he noted that those who had already been conscripted might be asked to serve in 2017 if there were insufficent volunteers.

Mr Marshall said the Regiment was “deliberately misleading the public into believing that the Regiment right now consists entirely of volunteers”, saying that about 170 were conscripts at present.

“Many countries around the world have transitioned from conscription to being a volunteer force within a relatively short period of time.

“The Royal Gibraltar Regiment made that transition in 1971. They could be the model for us. They have about half our population, and a regiment of 250 to 300 soldiers that are head and shoulders above ours.”

Mr Marshall said he was drawing up a letter to the rest of the One Bermuda Alliance’s MPs “imploring them not to support this legislation, as it blatantly violates their own party’s constitition”.