Inertia: a British style universal jurisdiction?

“We are not really interested in doing international trials in this country.” In this latest episode of a long-running series on universal jurisdiction, our partners at Asymmetrical Haircuts seek to understand why with Rupert Skilbeck, director of Redress. He describes a well-structured investigation unit, with resources and support from governmental departments and civil society. However, very few cases come to trial. “There is a political inertia when it comes to accountability” in the UK, he says, “that I think came from the post-colonial period”.

Iraqi boy and a Bristish soldier in Iraq
An Iraqi boy stands as a British soldier patrols a street in the southern city of Basra 26 September 2006. Despite hundreds of allegations of abuse by Iraqi civilians, only four British soldiers were sentenced in the UK. Photo: Essam Al-Sudani / AFP

Asymmetrical Haircuts podcastASYMMETRICAL HAIRCUTS

This podcast has been published as part of a partnership between Justice Info and Asymmetrical Haircuts, a podcast on international justice produced from The Hague by journalists Janet Anderson and Stephanie van den Berg, who retain full control and independence over the contents of the podcast.

Republish
Justice Info is on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the social media platform where our community is most active. Why not join in the discussion and engage with our posts?