International Criminal Court (Hansard, 27 January 1999)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
My Lords, we intend to be among the first 60 states to ratify the court's statute. We shall introduce the necessary legislation as soon as the parliamentary timetable allows.

§ Lord Archer of Sandwell
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that half loaf. Does she agree that when we have an effective jurisdiction which reflects the collective conscience of the international community we shall be spared those repeated arguments about extradition? Since the Government greatly augmented the respect in which they are held by the lead they gave in the negotiations leading to the statute, would it not be a pity to appear now to have lost a sense of urgency?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, Her Majesty's Government have not lost any sense of 1012 urgency. I remind my noble and learned friend that the Bill will be a substantial and complex piece of legislation. It must be properly prepared. It would be quite wrong to rush it. My noble and learned friend is right. The United Kingdom Government played a prominent role in negotiating the statute. We are extremely anxious to be among the founder members of the court. I hope that it will resolve extradition issues and, indeed, other issues which cause so much difficulty at present.

§ Lord Thomas of Gresford
My Lords, does the Minister not agree that although it may be a complex piece of legislation, it will receive the support of all sides of the House and will therefore pass very quickly into law? Does she not agree also that the quicker we have in place national procedures, the more likely we are to avoid the time, expense and embarrassment which have afflicted us recently?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, we greatly welcome the cross-party support for the court. As I hope I have made abundantly clear, we wish to see early ratification of the statute. We were extremely pleased about the support we received from the Foreign Affairs Committee in another place. However, I should say to the noble Lord that the Bill must include a great number of provisions; for example, provisions for co-operation by law enforcement and other authorities with the court on a wide range of matters. It is already an issue for consultation among officials and among Ministers. Therefore, work is under way on the legislation.

§ Lord Beloff
My Lords, does the Minister not agree that there would be greater popular support for such a court if the existing tribunal, which is supposed to be investigating war crimes in the Balkans, was not impeded in its work and managed to get hold of the people against whom charges are likely to be made?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, we all wish to see the tribunal operating in the way the noble Lord suggests. I do not believe that the Government have been negligent in any way in the pursuit of those who are wanted. As I have told the House four times now, we shall be pressing ahead as quickly as possible. I do not believe that there is, as the noble Lord suggests, a lack of popular support for the statute. There is cross-party support in this House, in another place and in the country as a whole.

§ Baroness Williams of Crosby
My Lords, what support are the Government receiving from the United States over the arrest of persons who might be charged with war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere? Is there any possibility of the United States reconsidering its decision not to ratify the statute of the International Criminal Court?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, the position of the United States in relation to the ICC is well known to your Lordships. The United States has 1013 expressed some misgivings about what it believes to be the possibility of its servicemen being open to charges under the ICC. We do not believe that that is the case. We have servicemen serving abroad and we believe that adequate safeguards exist. We have been talking to the United States. There have been three visits by officials from this country to try to persuade the United States to think again. We shall continue that lobbying effort, as I am sure will many other countries. The noble Baroness may be interested to know that so far 74 countries have signed up to the statute.

§ Lord Lester of Herne Hill
My Lords, in view of the magnificent role played by this Government and the Canadian Government in giving the lead on this issue, are efforts continuing to try to persuade India and Israel as well as the United States so that those three great democracies, with their commitment to the rule of law, also support the International Criminal Court?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Lester, for his kind remarks about the lead which the Government took. I pay tribute to the extensive work undertaken not only at ministerial level but, very importantly, at official level. I can assure the noble Lord that the United States is not the only country being lobbied to sign up to the statute; many countries are being lobbied, not only by ourselves but by many other signatories who want to see as many as possible involved. I remind the noble Lord that in Rome last year 120 countries voted for the statute. So far 74 have signed up and we hope that many more will do so. The signing has not lost momentum; countries are still signing up month by month.