Skip to main content

It seems clear the UK has assisted Israel’s breaches of international law. Surely Labour can do better than deny it | Sam Fowles

The new foreign secretary has access to data not available to the public – and has a duty to model respect for the law

  • Sam Fowles is a barrister, author and broadcaster

Britain’s history of developing and upholding international law should be a source of pride. The UK was once at the forefront of prosecuting war crimes, enshrining international human rights and developing the Geneva conventions. Recent governments, however, treated international law with contempt: successive Conservative administrations legislated to break the EU trade agreement within months of ratification, breached the refugee convention over the Rwanda plan, and repeatedly threatened to leave the European convention on human rights.

The general election offered the opportunity for a reset. One of the Starmer government’s early acts was to discontinue the UK’s attempt to block the international criminal court arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant. The new prime minister also restored funding to Unrwa.

Sam Fowles is a barrister, author and broadcaster. His full legal advice to Global Justice Now is available here

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Continue reading...

from The Guardian https://ift.tt/pSB4Vfz
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

England booed off after failing against Iceland once more in Euros warm-up

It was a long way from being the triumphant Euro 2024 send-off for Gareth Southgate and his England players at a sold-out and increasingly fretful Wembley. Never mind the result because it was not the main thing, however much it stirred memories of you-know-when against Iceland. It was the performance that raised the difficult questions, the worst one for quite some time and at exactly the wrong time. The home fans, thousands of whom made for the exits before the end, were forced to watch the second half – from about minute 55 onwards – through the gaps between their fingers. And it had not been great before that. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/4ndfQL0
Post a Comment
Read more

Covid-19 cases in England 'must fall to ease NHS pressure'

Imperial College study notes decline in week to 22 January but fall is slower than in first national lockdown Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Cases of coronavirus have started to decline in England but must fall faster to relieve pressure on the NHS, scientists behind a Covid infection survey have warned. Researchers at Imperial College London analysed more than 160,000 swabs taken between 6 and 22 January and found that while cases fell nationally in the past week the rate was not dropping swiftly enough to reduce strain on the health service. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/36ggn4E
Post a Comment
Read more

Trump to campaign in 4 states - including in Biden's hometown - during week of Democratic National Convention

Trump plans to hold a series of events next week in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Arizona as Democrats nominate Joe Biden for president.             from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3al6qn7
Post a Comment
Read more