Venezuela

Lord Pannick Excerpts

Tuesday 6th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Pannick (CB)]

My Lords, I remind the noble Baroness that when the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hermer, was sworn in as the Attorney-General on 15 July 2024, he gave a speech in which he said that

“from the Prime Minister down, the new government is comprised of individuals who have the rule of law imprinted into their DNA … We will seek to promote international law and the rule of law in the international legal order”.

Does she really think that today’s Statement on the Venezuela episode advances these objectives when it says supinely:

“It is, of course, for the US to set out the legal basis for its actions”?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

The words that the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hermer, said in his speech remain true. Our position on the rule of law has not changed and will not change.