Written question asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch (UK Independence Party) on Thursday, 27 November 2014, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 11 December 2014. It was answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative) on Wednesday, 10 December 2014 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

International Law

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 25 November (HL Deb, col 840), what assessment they have made of the legal implications of (1) the United Kingdom's invasion of Iraq, and (2) Russia's annexation of Ukraine.

Answer: (1) The UK took military action in Iraq in 2003 on the basis of UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) dating back to Resolution 678, and culminating in UNSCR 1441 which was passed unanimously on 8 November 2002.

(2) The UK does not, and will not, recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia. This action violated the UN Charter, was illegal under international law and breached a number of commitments Russia had made. It is for these reasons that Russia has subsequently been isolated in the Security Council and in the wider international community.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL3207
Session: 2014-15
Related items: EU: UK Membership
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Proceeding contributions
House of Lords
Subjects: Armed conflict Iraq International law Trees Russia Ukraine Military intervention
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk