Campaigners warned that Britain will be made a "safe haven for war criminals" by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill which was launched in Parliament today.
Campaigners warned that Britain will be made a "safe haven for war criminals" by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill which was launched in Parliament today.
If passed, the Bill would make it much more difficult to get an arrest warrant for anyone accused of war crimes.
Then Israeli minister Tzipi Livni was forced to cancel a visit to London last year after Westminster magistrates' court issued an arrest warrant for her in line with evidence of war crimes presented by lawyers acting on behalf of Palestinian victims of Israel's Operation Cast Lead.
At present, any victim of war crimes can seek an arrest warrant for suspected war criminals by presenting evidence to Westminster magistrates, and Amnesty International and Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) have called for this system to be upheld.
PSC campaigns director Sarah Colborne said: "The government have not managed to produce evidence of even one arrest warrant that was granted on insufficient evidence of war crimes."
The Bill would take those powers away from magistrates and give them to the Director of Public Prosecutions under the supervision of the Attorney General.
The Attorney General would have the right to veto requests for arrest warrants regardless of the strength of the evidence.
PSC warned that the Director of Public Prosecutions "could find themselves under immense pressure from the Attorney General to refuse an arrest warrant application if it was for someone from what the government considered an 'ally' country."
Ms Colborne added: "Our justice system should not be altered according to the wishes of senior politicians from Israel who are fearful of arrest because of decisions they have personally taken.
"Our government has a responsibility to uphold international law and bring those responsible for crimes, such as the massacre of over 1400 Palestinians in Gaza and destruction of UN and civilian infrastructure, to justice."
Around 110 mainly Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs have opposed the change by signing early day motion 108 which states: "This house believes that universal jurisdiction for human rights abuses is essential as part of the cause of bringing to justice those who commit crimes against humanity and will oppose any legislation to restrict this power of UK courts."
lizziecocker@peoples-press.com
If passed, the Bill would make it much more difficult to get an arrest warrant for anyone accused of war crimes.
Then Israeli minister Tzipi Livni was forced to cancel a visit to London last year after Westminster magistrates' court issued an arrest warrant for her in line with evidence of war crimes presented by lawyers acting on behalf of Palestinian victims of Israel's Operation Cast Lead.
At present, any victim of war crimes can seek an arrest warrant for suspected war criminals by presenting evidence to Westminster magistrates, and Amnesty International and Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) have called for this system to be upheld.
PSC campaigns director Sarah Colborne said: "The government have not managed to produce evidence of even one arrest warrant that was granted on insufficient evidence of war crimes."
The Bill would take those powers away from magistrates and give them to the Director of Public Prosecutions under the supervision of the Attorney General.
The Attorney General would have the right to veto requests for arrest warrants regardless of the strength of the evidence.
PSC warned that the Director of Public Prosecutions "could find themselves under immense pressure from the Attorney General to refuse an arrest warrant application if it was for someone from what the government considered an 'ally' country."
Ms Colborne added: "Our justice system should not be altered according to the wishes of senior politicians from Israel who are fearful of arrest because of decisions they have personally taken.
"Our government has a responsibility to uphold international law and bring those responsible for crimes, such as the massacre of over 1400 Palestinians in Gaza and destruction of UN and civilian infrastructure, to justice."
Around 110 mainly Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs have opposed the change by signing early day motion 108 which states: "This house believes that universal jurisdiction for human rights abuses is essential as part of the cause of bringing to justice those who commit crimes against humanity and will oppose any legislation to restrict this power of UK courts."
lizziecocker@peoples-press.com 
