High Court Hearing: Iraq War Case Convicts Tony Blair for Prosecution
High Court hearing detailed recently calls for prosecution of Tony Blair as Iraq’s invasion has been deemed unnecessary act in the past according to resolution of Chilcot’s Inquiry.
Michael Mansfield’s opening argument, related to call for war crime trials in Britain, reveal that the crime of wagging destructive war has been effectively incorporated in English law.
Abdulwaheed al-Rabbat, former Iraqi general, had attempted to bring Tony Blair to court along with Jack Straw, who is former foreign secretary and Lord Goldsmith, who is former attorney general.
Mansfield argued that Rabbat’s motivated behind the attempt was recent year’s report publication of Chilcot inquiry of 2003 war in Iraq.
Chilcot’s inquiry has been summarized by Mansfield as: Saddam Hussein was not posing any urgent threat to UK, where intelligence reports about Iraqi weapons (of mass destruction) were displayed with uncalled-for certainty, that war was not required and UK undermined UN Security Council’s authority. The findings reveal the extent to which the war was unlawful.
Mansfield disagreed that when at the end of World War II, British prosecutors opened the cases at Nuremburg’s war crime trials, the prosecutors acted as if the crime based on aggression had been part of the English law already.
Westminister magistrate court has dismissed the prosecution of Tony Blair on grounds that he enjoys immunity where the crime of aggression isn’t part of the English law.
Lord Thomas, lord chief justice and Mr Ouseley are involved in hearing court appeals. Jeremy Wright QC, the present attorney general has recently intervened in the case by arguing that crime doesn’t exist in statute book.
Iraqi supporters sat at the court to support Rabbat. Rabbat, who was former chief of army staff in Iraq, himself was absent from court. His lawyers said that the case has been brought to court for the reason that UK recently took over Iraq. According to European Conviction based on Human Rights, lawyer is deemed to be present under the jurisdiction at required time.
The final decision is under process and Rabbat’s lawyers have been provided with another week to bring additional submissions. If the judges fail to dismiss the case, the case of crime of aggression to be existing in English law will be taken to Supreme Court.
