We are shocked at suggestions by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister Ivan Lewis and foreign secretary David Miliband that Britain may consider changing its laws to avoid any future attempts to prosecute suspected war criminals, Israeli or otherwise. The UK must not renege on its international treaty obligations, particularly those under thefourth Geneva convention to seek out and prosecute persons suspected of war crimes wherever and whoever they are, whatever their status, rank or influence, against whom good prima facie evidence has been laid. We reject any attempt to undermine the judiciary's independence and integrity. A judge who finds sufficient evidence of a war crime must have power to order the arrest of a suspect, subject to the usual rights to bail and appeal. The power to arrest individuals reasonably suspected of war crimes anywhere in the world should they set foot on UK soil is an efficient and necessary resource in the struggle against war crimes, and must not be interfered with (Report, 6 January). Nor should the government succumb to pressure from any foreign power to alter this crucial aspect of the judicial process. We urge the government to state clearly that it will not alter the law on universal jurisdiction and will continue to allow victims of war crimes to seek justice in British courts. John Austin MP Katy Clark MP Frank Cook MP Jeremy Corbyn MP Ann Cryer MP Paul Flynn MP Neil Gerrard MP John Hemming MP Paul Holmes MP Kelvin HopkinsMP Brian Iddon MP Lynne Jones MP Tom Levitt MP Martin Linton MP Bob Marshall-Andrews MP Gordon Prentice MP Linda Riordan MP Terry Rooney MP Baroness Jenny Tonge Baroness Lindsay Northover Bob Russell MP Clare Short MP Phyllis Starkey MP Sir David Steel Sandra White MSP Derek Wyatt MP Tayab Ali, Partner, Irvine Thanvi Natas Solicitors Sir Geoffrey Bindman Richard Burgon, solicitor Daniel Carey, Public Interest Lawyers Ian Cross, solicitor Jim Duffy, Public Interest Lawyers Shauna Gillan, barrister, 1 Pump Court Andrew Gray, solicitor Tessa Gregory, Public Interest Lawyers Beth Handly, Partner, Hickman and Rose solicitors Michael Hagan, solicitor Michelle Harris, barrister, 1 Pump Court Susan Harris, solicitor Jane Hickman, Partner, Hickman and Rose solicitors Sam Jacobs, Public Interest Lawyers Salma Karmi-Ayyoub, barrister Paul Kaufman, solicitor Aonghus Kelly, Public Interest Lawyers Daniel Machover, Chair of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights Michael Mansfield QC Anna Mazzola, Partner, Hickman and Rose solicitors Sarah McSherry, Partner, Christian Khan solicitors Clare Mellor, solicitor Karen Mitchell, solicitor Simon Natas, Partner, Irvine Thanvi Natas solicitors Sophie Naftalin, Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights Mary Nazzal-Batayneh, Human Rights Legal Aid Fund Henrietta Phillips, solicitor William Seymour, solicitor Navya Shekhar, solicitor Phil Shiner, Public Interest Lawyers David Thompson, solicitor Paul Troop, barrister Mohammed Abdul-Bari, Secretary-General, Muslim Council of Britain Anas Altikriti, British Muslim Initiative Lindsey German, Stop the War Campaign John Hilary, Director, War on Want Kate Hudson, Chair, CND Betty Hunter, General Secretary, PalestineSolidarity Campaign Dan Judelson, Jews for Justice for Palestinians Hugh Lanning, PCS Deputy General Secretary John McHugo, Chair, Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine Gerry Morrissey, General Secretary, BECTU Tony Woodley, Joint General Secretary, UNITE. Kate Allen, Director, Amnesty International UK Jackie Alsaid LLM Rachel Bowles Prof Haim Bresheeth Dale Egee Sarah El-Guindi Deborah Fink David Halpin Sharif Hamadeh Samira Hassassian Professor Ted Honderich Victor Kattan Asad Khan Miriam Margolyes Professor Nur Masalha Professor Steven Rose Professor Jonathan Rosenhead Andrew Sanger Dr Aisha Sarwar Tareq Shrouru Tony Woodley, UNITE Joint General SecretaryThey can give this country away, to be run by Brussels, but, OH MY GOD.. WHAT TOTAL HYPOCRISY !
Letters
We must not renege on war crime laws
Saturday, 16 January 2010
oh my God!
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