New Clause 1 - Jurisdiction of the court
International Criminal Court Bill [Lords]
5:45 pm
Mr Robert Maclennan (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, Liberal Democrat)
Perhaps because I belong to the generation that lived through the last world war and personally recollect some of the incidents of war and its aftermath—such as the Nuremberg trials—I take a different view about current priorities from those expressed by the Conservative Members who have spoken. They are concerned that the ICC might abuse its power, and they think that their uncertainty about that is sufficient to make it wise not to submit to its jurisdiction for seven years. That, however, must be weighed in the balance against the importance of strengthening the world's deterrents against war crimes.
The record of international institutions seems more exemplary than that of the individual nation states that comprise them. My great concern is that the laws of war will be ignored or paid mere lip service by belligerent countries if we do not take the enforcement process forward.