header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
21 July 2016 / Dr Jon Robins
Issue: 7708 / Categories: Opinion
printer mail-detail

In contempt

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Chilcot delivered a scathing review of the actions of Tony Blair & his government, but what happens next, asks Jon Robins

“Will Tony Blair end up in the Hague? Will he have to share a cell with Slobodan Milosevic? Do you think his wife might take the case?”, quipped comedian Mark Thomas in January 2003 to the lawyer Phil Shiner. The unlikely pair had just been to Number 10 to hand-deliver a “letter before action” on Tony Blair warning the then prime minister he could be prosecuted for war crimes.

Unstoppable rush to war

At the time I was reporting on a growing transatlantic movement of lawyers trying to halt what seemed to be an unstoppable rush to war. In the US the leading human rights lawyer Michael Ratner had secured the signatures of 100 leading law professors in one day to support his letter to George Bush warning of the legal ramifications of military action.

“To many people in the world this is an unwarranted war,” Ratner told me. The lawyer, who went on to challenge

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn adds employee benefits and executive compensation practice in London with partner Richard Surtees

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL appoints new partner and head of intellectual property disputes

Muckle LLP—Roland Fairlamb

Muckle LLP—Roland Fairlamb

Specialist associate solicitor rejoins Muckle’s leading employment team

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Property cases reshape established principles
A series of recent decisions has clarified important principles across property law, from perpetuities to lease renewals and public rights over land
NLJ this week: Stress ruling raises the bar for employers
Employers cannot rely on wellbeing services alone to defend workplace stress claims after a High Court decision awarding almost £1m to an overworked employee
NLJ this week: Can Manchesterism revive access to justice?
Andy Burnham's brand of 'Manchesterism' could offer fresh thinking on legal aid and access to justice if it reaches Westminster, according to Roger Smith, NLJ columnist and former director of JUSTICE
NLJ this week: Constitutional conventions tested as power changes hands
The constitutional fallout from a change of prime minister, rather than the politics, is under scrutiny as questions arise over the limits of executive authority in a leadership transition
NLJ this week: Lawyers must become product designers
The legal profession is undergoing a fundamental shift from selling services to creating technology-enabled products, according to Professor Luke Mason, Head of School of Law at Regent's University London
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll