Tony Blair could face prosecution over Iraq as top judge hears appeal in war crimes case
An Iraqi general is seeking to bring a private prosecution against the former Prime Minister
THE COUNTRY’S top judge was today asked to review whether or not Tony Blair can be charged with a crime over the Iraq War.
The ex-PM has been accused of “aggression” over the decision to invade the country and depose Saddam Hussein.
Last year, a judge ruled that he was immune from prosecution and said that if he were involved in a court case it could lead to the leaking of state secrets.
But lawyers for a former Iraqi general today asked the Lord Chief Justice to overturn that judgment and allow the prosecution of Mr Blair to proceed.
The Attorney General, acting for the Government, is trying to block the case on the grounds that aggression is not a crime in English law.
Lord Thomas - head of the judiciary in England - and Mr Justice Ouseley heard the case at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
The private prosecution is being brought by Abdul Wahed Shannan Al Rabbat, the former chief of staff of the Iraqi army.
His lawyer is Michael Mansfield QC, the controversial barrister who has previously represented Mohamed al-Fayed, Michael Barrymore and the family of Stephen Lawrence.
The evidence for Mr Blair’s alleged crimes is based on the conclusion of the Chilcot report, released last year, which found that the then-PM sent Britain to war on the false assumption that Saddam posed an imminent threat to the West.
The prosecution also targets Jack Straw, who was Foreign Secretary at the time of the invasion, and former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, who advised Mr Blair that the war was legal.
Aggression has long been a crime under international law - but the Government claims that it is not a crime in English law.
Jeremy Wright, the current Attorney General, argued in court that the case is "hopeless" and should be thrown out.
It was initially blocked in November last year, but Mr Al Rabbat's legal team was granted the right to appeal against that decision.
After a half-day hearing, the two judges reserved their judgment and said they would give their decision on whether to grant permission at a later date.
The general lives in Oman, does not possess a passport and could not be at the hearing on Wednesday.
But the courtroom was filled with citizens from Middle Eastern countries who are supporting his bid for a private prosecution against the architects of the war.
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Campaigners have long called for Mr Blair to be prosecuted over the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which was led by the US and supported by the British PM.
The war saw Saddam replaced by a democratic government, but large parts of Iraq slid into terrorist anarchy and thousands of civilians were killed as well as hundreds of western soldiers.