Iraq war and the law: what's at stake?

Thursday, 20 March 2003

University of 亚洲彩票官网 graduate Professor James Crawford SC, FBA is a well-known international lawyer, combining an academic career that started at the University of 亚洲彩票官网 with practical work in the international law arena. He has appeared on numerous occasions before the International Court of Justice and other international tribunals, acted for the Crown Prince of Jordan and was the first Australian to serve on the United Nations International Law Commission.

He is currently at the University of Cambridge, serving as Whewell Professor of International Law, Professorial Fellow of Jesus College and Director of the Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law.

Professor Crawford responded to the following questions as they relate to the pending war:

Question: Over the past couple of weeks, there has been suggestion that an attack on Iraq would (i) breach international law and (ii) expose our leaders to trial as war criminals. Is this a breach and can the President of the US, British and Australian PM's for example, be subjected to a War Tribunal, and how can, if at all, this be compared to what is happening to Slobodan Milosevic?

Professor Crawfor