New Clause 1 - Jurisdiction of the court
International Criminal Court Bill [Lords]
12:00 pm
Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate, Conservative)
This is an essential issue on which we must focus. Article 8.2(b)(xiii) of the statute of Rome says that a person guilty of a war crime is someone
``Utilizing the presence of a civilian or other protected person to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations''.
I do not need to tell you, Mr. Cook, that it is not much good if one loses a war because one was not able to take a military objective owing to the fact that someone else was committing a war crime. One must be able to execute operations to win a war. To be told that we would be equally guilty of a war crime if we took out such an area—that is the implication of the statute—is a serious issue, and that is why the French clarification is so important.