What’s betting our own dear International Minister MP Hugo Swire was involved!
“Conservative ministers have been accused of quietly abandoning the longstanding principle that members of the government should be bound by international law.
A rewrite of the ministerial code that sets out the standard of conduct expected has omitted a reference to the subject – a decision that senior lawyers say could have far-reaching implications for the UK and its relationship with the rest of the world.
The latest version of the code, which was published without fanfare on Thursday last week, reveals that a key element has disappeared. The previous code, issued in 2010, said there was an “overarching duty on ministers to comply with the law including international law and treaty obligations and to uphold the administration of justice and to protect the integrity of public life”.
In the new version the sentence has been edited to say only that there is an “overarching duty on ministers to comply with the law and to protect the integrity of public life”.
Lawyers say key issues affected by the change could include decisions about whether to go to war or use military force, such as the use of drones in Syria, any decision made by an international court about the UK and any laws not incorporated into English law, such as human rights legislation and the Geneva conventions.”
http://gu.com/p/4dgj
East Devon Watch 