UK lawyers threatened with Trump sanctions

The Foreign Office has warned some of Britain's top human rights lawyers they are at risk of being sanctioned by Donald Trump and could have their entire worldwide assets frozen.

- Rachel Sylvester

Senior barristers, retired judges and academics have been told they and their families could be banned from visiting the US because of their association with the international criminal court’s (ICC) investigation into alleged war crimes in Gaza.

They have also been advised to take pre-emptive measures to protect their finances in Britain as their bank accounts here are likely to be blocked if they are subject to the draconian White House restrictions. The threat of British lawyers being subjected to sanctions by one of the UK’s closest allies was described as “a threat to the rule of law” and “authoritarian” by legal experts.

Those who have been warned that they could be sanctioned include Lord Justice Fulford, former vice-president of the court of appeal; Helena Kennedy KC, the Labour peer; Judge Theodor Meron, former president of the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; Danny Friedman KC, a barrister at Matrix Chambers; and Elizabeth Wilmshurst KC, distinguished fellow of international law at Chatham House and a former legal adviser in the UK diplomatic service.