UK in Strasbourg
The Guardian reports on the ECtHR ruling on the case of Alfie Evans, finding that the decision to withdraw life support from the 22-month-old does not violate human rights.
UK & other courts
Amnesty International has discussed a case heard by the Court of Appeal considering whether members of special missions visiting the UK with the approval of the Foreign Office should be immune from criminal proceedings.
Human rights campaigners have begun an attempt to overturn a High Court judgment that allows the British Government to continue to export arms to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen.
Evaluation of UK’s international obligations
In the wake of the Skripal poisoning and the UK’s expulsion of Russian diplomats, more than twenty western allies have ordered the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats and Nato has expelled seven staff from its Russian mission.
The Commons Foreign Affairs Committee published the Government’s response to the Committee’s report on the future of UK diplomacy in Europe.
Amnesty International has reported that, three years on, UK arms supplies to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition are devastating civilian lives in Yemen.
According to The Times, Scotland Yard’s war crimes unit has confirmed that it is conducting a preliminary inquiry into five suspects in relation to the Rwandan genocide after a request from the Rwandan Government to prosecute them in Britain.
UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU
As the European Commission and EU Member States begin discussions to develop the next set of cohesion policy programmes, the Government has published a position paper on the future of cohesion policy.
According to PoliticsHome, Spain’s foreign minister Alfonso Dastis has stated that he hopes for a deal with the UK on Gibraltar by the summer.
The Financial Times has reported that plans have begun to gather materials for the creation of a Brexit Museum, creating a ‘centre for European disintegration studies’.
Guy Verhofstadt has stated that it is in the interests of everyone to make Brexit work, as the European Parliament seeks clarity on the future relations with the UK. Brexit Secretary David Davis has argued that MPs will need detail of UK-EU relationship before Brexit, as without a ‘substantive’ idea of the future picture, they could veto a final Brexit deal. He reportedly clashed with Whitehall over this demand as splits emerged over how ambitious the UK should be in seeking a trade and relationship deal between now and October. Nonetheless, David Davis won the internal battle, sending a letter to Whitehall official urging them to come up with key Brexit goals ahead of an intense summer of talks with the European Commission.
Speaking in the wake of celebrations of 20 years of the Good Friday agreement, Tony Blair has argued that it is essential to avoid the disaster of a hard Irish border.
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