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Solicitor-General

Answer

Llew Smith: To ask the Solicitor-General what the reasons were for the choice of Professor Greenwood of the London School of Economics to be invited to contribute to the drafting of the legal advice prepared by the Attorney-General on the legal basis for taking military action to invade Iraq in March 2003. [219796] The Solicitor-General: Professor Christopher Greenwood QC is an expert in the field of international law in the United Kingdom. He has advised the Government on issues of international law on many occasions, including, for example, in relation to proceedings commenced against the UK in the International Court of Justice by the FRY (Serbia and Montenegro) in 1999, which sought to challenge the legality of the military action in Kosovo. Professor Greenwood did not contribute to the drafting of the Attorney-General's advice on the legality of the use of force against Iraq. As I set out in my reply to the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Sir Menzies Campbell) on 29 March 2004, Official Report, column 1147W, no non-Governmental experts or lawyers were asked to advise the Attorney-General on whether the conflict in Iraq was lawful. Professor Greenwood was instructed to assist in relation to legal issues arising from the Iraq conflict, including the preparation of the Attorney-General's statement to Parliament on 17 March 2003.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

431 c1639W;431 c1635W; 219796

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Armed conflict Attorney General Iraq Legal opinion International law Iraq conflict Greenwood, Christopher

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk