This briefing outlines how the UK’s Crime and Policing Bill presents a critical opportunity to reform the UK’s approach to prosecuting international crimes and strengthen its universal jurisdiction laws. The UK currently lacks a robust legal framework to hold perpetrators of international crimes accountable, reflected in the fact that there have only ever been three successful prosecutions of international crimes in English courts. In 2023, REDRESS and the Clooney Foundation for Justice published a report highlighting important gaps in the UK’s legal system and proposing two straightforward legal changes to close these loopholes by amending the International Criminal Court Act 2001. These reforms would ensure that perpetrators can no longer visit or reside in the UK without fear of prosecution, allow for more prosecutions under universal jurisdiction, and prevent the UK from being a ‘safe haven’ for perpetrators. As this briefing outlines, the Crime and Policing Bill provides an ideal platform for these reforms.
