Public International Law

International law is the cornerstone of all our work, whether in the UK or elsewhere in the world. The work of PIL concerning the use of force in armed conflict and nuclear weapons involves principles of customary international law and international treaty provisions.

Since 2002 PIL has focussed on the legality of the UK's use of force against Iraq. Our first initiative addressed jus ad bellum, which is whether the UK could use force against Iraq without an express authorisation of force from the Security Council under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

PIL established a People's Inquiry into the Legality of the Use of Force against Iraq, held on 11 October 2002. As part of this process we commissioned a first opinion from Rabinder Singh QC and Alison MacDonald Matrix Chambers, of 10 September 2002, which concluded that pre-emptive force was not permitted, and neither was the use of force pursuant to current Security Council Resolutions legal. At the inquiry Rabinder Singh QC, of Matrix, presented the views for illegality of the use of force while the views for legality by Julian Knowles of the same chambers. PIL instructed Rabinder Singh and also helped organise the inquiry. For more on this, see Campaigns.

PIL acts for two mothers of British soldiers that were killed while serving in Iraq who have brought a case against the Prime Minister, the Attorney General and the Secretary of State for Defence that the war was unlawful and, accordingly, in breach of their sons’ right to life under Article 2 ECHR. Their case was heard for three days in the Court of Appeal from 6 to 8 November last year. The Court of Appeal found that the Government was not obliged to hold an independent inquiry into the events leading up to the decision to go to war in Iraq. The claimants have petitioned the House of Lords for leave to appeal this ruling.

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