International Criminal Court

Debate between Lord Teverson and Lord Wood of Anfield

Tuesday 27th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Teverson]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the future of the International Criminal Court.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Lord Wood of Anfield) (Lab)]

My Lords, support for international criminal justice and accountability is a fundamental element of the UK’s foreign policy. The International Criminal Court is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern, holding perpetrators to account and achieving justice for victims. The ICC, as everyone knows, is going through a particularly challenging period, and the UK stands alongside our fellow ICC states parties in supporting and vending the independence, impartiality and integrity of the court.

[Lord Teverson (LD)]

My Lords, first, I welcome very much the prompt statement by the UK, together with seven other nations, in support of the ICC, following the assault by sanctions on not just the ICC itself but its staff. What are we doing practically to make sure that the court survives in the long term, despite those sanctions led by the United States? In particular, how can we help defend those individual members of staff who are so much in the firing line of President Trump himself?

[Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)]

The noble Lord is right to point out the early statement. Within hours of the American announcement, we published a joint statement expressing our strong disagreement with the sanctions imposed upon the court, co-signed by the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands. The noble Lord is also right to point to the need for practical support of the ICC in this period. We are offering that practical support through various things, including witness protection, sentence enforcement and commitment to internal reform processes. On UK staff, something like 50 or so staff are employed at the ICC. We are in close contact with the court and with British nationals impacted by events and these sanctions.