'Not for the courts'? Al Haq, the arms trade, international law and judicial scope

Wednesday 23 July 2025

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After over 20 weeks of hearings, the High Court in London recently ruled that the UK government acted lawfully in continuing to supply F-35 jet parts to Israel through a global pool. While acknowledging the parts could be used in ways that breach international humanitarian law, the judges said the issue is one for the executive, ‘not for the courts’.

The case, brought by Palestinian NGO Al-Haq, challenged the UK’s decision to exempt the parts when it suspended 30 arms export licences to Israel in September. Though dismissed, the case has spotlighted UK arms exports and the government's assessment of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

In this Global Insight podcast, IBA Multimedia Journalist Alice Johnson speaks to Jennine Walker, senior lawyer at Global Legal Action Network and part of the team who represented Al-Haq in the case, and Sara Elizabeth Dill, an international human rights lawyer and officer of the IBA’s War Crimes Committee.

Additional comment comes from David Lammy MP, UK Foreign Secretary, at a Foreign Affairs Committee meeting.

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