If, as appears likely, the U.K. is involved in the use of force against Iraq the leaders of the U.K. Government will be investigated by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it breaches international humanitarian law (IHL). So promise a coalition of professors of law and leading NGOs from around the world. The U.K.,U.S. and Canadian Governments have, on Thursday, been served with letters before action warning them of the consequences of an illegal use of force against Iraq. In the U.K., Tony Blair was served at 10 Downing Street during filming for a Channel 4 TV programme to be aired on January 31.
The ICC came into being in July 2002 and is shortly to commence work. It will investigate and prosecute those guilty of "genocide," "crimes against humanity" and "war crimes." The definition of "war crimes" is wide and would catch indiscriminate methods of attack or weapon systems used by the U.K. and U.S. in the 1991 Gulf War, and in Kosovo and Afghanistan. Whereas those wars took place before July 2002, any war in Iraq could be subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction.
The ICC came into being in July 2002 and is shortly to commence work. It will investigate and prosecute those guilty of "genocide," "crimes against humanity" and "war crimes." The definition of "war crimes" is wide and would catch indiscriminate methods of attack or weapon systems used by the U.K. and U.S. in the 1991 Gulf War, and in Kosovo and Afghanistan. Whereas those wars took place before July 2002, any war in Iraq could be subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction.