The UK’s Overseas Operations Bill: licence to kill?
The UK Government is seeking to pass a new legislation that would impede prosecutions against British troops for crimes committed whilst serving abroad. The Bill, currently at the committee stage...
Ten years of the Argentine inquiry into Franco-era crimes: what has been achieved?
On 14 April 2010, the Argentinean criminal courts began an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed during the Franco regime. The investigation was initiated under the principle of universal...
The US ‘Snapback Sanctions’ on Iran Tantamount to Crimes Against Humanity
In 2015, Iran agreed a long-term Nuclear Deal on its nuclear programme with the world powers known as the P5+1 – the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany. The...
The pandemic, insurgent birth certificates and conflict-affected children
When armed groups control territory, they not infrequently administer public services, and the pandemic is no exception. Non-state armed groups in the Philippines introduced a “shelter in place” order requiring...
The Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic: An Update
For decades, political instability and human rights abuses have plagued the Central African Republic (CAR). The most recent conflict began in 2013, when an alliance of rebel militias known as...
International Criminal Investigation in Afghanistan
On 5 March 2020, after more than a decade of preliminary examination, and the initial rejection by Pre-Trial Chamber-II (‘the Chamber’) of the International Criminal Court, the Appeals Chamber unanimously...
20 Years After Palermo Protocol: Towards a stronger East African regional anti-trafficking framework
The year 2020 marks 20 years since the adoption of the year 2000 Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations...
Proposed amendments to the Human Rights Act to disadvantage UK war crimes victims
On 18 March 2020, the UK Minister for Defence introduced into the UK Parliament his promised package of new legislation designed to ‘protect veterans’. Entitled the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel...
Sexual Violence and Genocide: The International Court of Justice’s ruling on Rohingya
Since August 2017, at least 10,000 Rohingya – a Muslim minority group in Myanmar’s Rakhine state – have been killed and 700,000 have fled to neighboring Bangladesh amidst a brutal...
The China Cables – Dehumanisation of Uyghurs and the Need for International Censure
The Uyghurs are a Turkic-minority ethnic group residing in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of the People’s Republic of China. The Uyghur population of around 10 million residing in...
Protection Against Human Trafficking in Hong Kong: A Disappointment
In the recent Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal decision, ZN v Secretary for Justice & Others, the Court held that Art.4 of the Hong Kong Bill of Rights (‘BOR4’)...
The Gambia v Myanmar: ICJ upholds the rights of Rohingyas
On January 23, the International Court of Justice announced the imposition of provisional measures against Myanmar. Myanmar is required to immediately cease all atrocities and human rights violations against Rohingyas,...
