The Trump administration has announced new sanctions against the president and a senior lawyer of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Chair of the Bar Council Kirsty Brimelow KC said:
“The Bar Council of England and Wales is deeply concerned by the further sanctions imposed on the President of the International Criminal Court and a senior member of its Office of the Prosecutor.
“The independence of judges and prosecutors is a fundamental principle of the rule of law. Sanctions directed at individuals because of their work in an independent judicial institution risk undermining that independence and obstructing the administration of justice.
“It is the most vulnerable and those suffering the worst atrocities who suffer. They must be able to access the ICC without political interference.
“There will inevitably be disagreement about the jurisdiction and decisions of international courts. Such disagreements should be addressed through legal and - where appropriate - diplomatic channels, not through measures which target those charged with carrying out their judicial and prosecutorial functions.
“At a time when respect for international law is under considerable strain, independent courts and the lawyers and judges who serve them must be able to perform their duties without fear or favour.”
Read the ICC statement:
The ICC strongly rejects new US sanctions designations