Attorney General to 'block' attempt to prosecute Tony Blair - report
Tony Blair: Picture credit - Victoria Jones/PA Wire/PA Images
The Attorney General is set to block a bid to prosecute former Tony Blair in relation to the Iraq War, according to reports.
Jeremy Wright QC, the UK Government's top law officer and a Conservative MP, has formally asked to join future hearings against the former prime minister over his decision to join the 2003 invasion, the Guardian reports.
The move comes as former chief of staff of the Iraq army General Abdul-Wahid Shannan ar-Ribat attempts to prosecute Blair for the crime of “aggression”, a charge Wright says is "hopeless" as it does not exist in English law.
Last year a judge ruled Blair had “immunity” from attempts to bring a criminal charge against him due to any bid requiring disclosure of information from the Official Secrets Act.
Legal papers seen by the newspaper say ar-Ribat has launched a review of the judgement, which seeks the trial in a British court of Blair, his then foreign secretary Jack Straw and Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General at the time.
Ar-Ribat’s lawyers, Michael Mansfield QC and Imran Khan, claim Judge Snow made “glaring errors of law” in his ruling.
Khan said: “My client wants those responsible held to account and prosecuted using the full force of the law.”
A spokeswoman for the Attorney General would not confirm whether Wright would oppose the attempted prosecution, but told the Press Association: “He is seeking to intervene in this case because it raises issues about the scope of criminal law.”
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