For immediate release: 9 June 2003
The latest legal opinion from Rabinder Singh QC and Charlotte Kilroy of Matrix Chambers, London on the legality of war with Iraq, entitled “In The Matter of the Legality of the Use of Force Against Iraq and the Alleged Existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction”, sets out the legal basis for an independent enquiry into the government’s decision to go to war with Iraq.
Phil Shiner of Public Interest Lawyers has sent letters to Tony Blair, Jack Straw and Geoff Hoon calling for an independent enquiry. If the government refuse an enquiry, CND will seek another Judicial Review.
Carol Naughton, CND Chair, “added to all the evidence calling for an independent enquiry is the legal opinion from one of the pre-eminent lawyers in the country which states why the government must conduct an independent enquiry. CND also calls for independent inspection of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq and independent monitoring of the UK’s ‘commitments’ to get rid of its Weapons of Mass Destruction”
Ends…//
Notes for Editors
1. CND – the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was formed in 1958 and has expert knowledge on all nuclear issues
2. CND obtained a Judicial Review of the governments decision to go to war on Iraq in December 2002.
3. The UK is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which states an ‘unequivocal undertaking to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals’