Peace protesters fail in 'illegal war' plea

[peterh]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1266009,00.html

Five peace activists who deny breaking the law by attempting to stop B-52 bombers from leaving Britain for Iraq have failed in a renewed bid to plead the "illegality" of the war as part of their defence.
The court of appeal held that the "crime of aggression" under international law - which was how the defendants viewed the Iraq conflict - did not constitute a crime under English law.

"The executive's action in declaring and waging war is, in itself, a lawful exercise of its prerogative powers," Lord Justice Latham, sitting with Mr Justice Gibbs and Judge Richard Brown, said.

However, they were handed a lifeline by the judges who, although refusing them permission to appeal to the House of Lords, certified that the case raised issues of law of general public importance.
The certification gives the defendants ammunition to back an application direct to the Law Lords for leave to appeal.





Well not what I was hoping for…but not surprising…..Still….Blair has not seen the last of this group….

[Massacure]

1. How do you try and stop a B-52 from leaving?

I don't think it is possible without trespassing. There are probably a couple other laws that they broke too.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

[Dover]

2. Acts of civil disobedience often require small infractions of the law.

Hence the "disobedience". It's not the kind of activism that attracts the 'good doobies' of the world, it's for committed activists only who are willing to risk arrest. Perhaps a study of the civil rights period in this country would be instructive....

[mstrsplinter326]

3. They should take their case to the EU.

That would be an appropriate forum for that, or the UN of course.

It would be really awesome to see the many protest groups united and taking legal action through the UN to declare the US and Allies in violation of international law.