Joining forces with 90 leading legal academics and other academic scholars, barristers, solicitors and other legal professionals, NGO experts and politicians, from across the UK and other parts of Europe, Goldsmiths Law academics have drafted, signed and widely circulated an open letter that:
(a) condemns the Russian Federation’s criminal aggression in Ukraine and all that follows from it;
(b) calls upon the UK, USA and France – the three Permanent Five Members of the Security Council – to put political pressure on Russia to accept the authority of both the ICJ and ICC for judicial resolution (noting that it is a time of reckoning for China too, which has the opportunity to support the above action).
(c) (failing that) calls for an ad hoc justice mechanism to bring Putin, and those around him, to justice.
The letter has been forwarded to the Foreign Secretary in the UK, and will be sent to relevant authorities in the United States and France too.
The Law Society Gazzette, East London Lines and The Times have reported on the initiative.
Faced with untold humanitarian tragedy, and the blatant violations of international law committed by Putin in Ukraine, our Universities, and key external organisations that UK Universities are partnering with, have a moral responsibility to actively defend international law and the rule of law, and do what they can to help stop the excruciating human suffering in the cities and towns, and hospitals, maternity wards and schools, and the residential houses that Russian aggression has indiscriminately bombed in Ukraine, and to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
Our letter can be downloaded from here: Letter to Foreign Secretary on Russian aggression in Ukraine and international law
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