Letter of the week: Judicial review
As a former judicial colleague of Jonathan Sumption, I have always had great respect for his expertise as a historian and international lawyer. I found his article on Israel's conduct of the conflict in Gaza as compelling as it was deeply disturbing (Cover Story, 18 July). Baroness Deech's critical response in your latest edition seemed surprisingly aggressive (Correspondence, 25 July). More importantly, it failed entirely to engage with the substance of his analysis of the current situation, or even to offer a note of compassion for the horrific suffering of thousands of ordinary Palestinians of which we read every day. Another of your correspondents suggests that you give equal prominence to 'someone with similar qualifications putting forward the Israeli side of the argument'. That would be a valuable exercise if such a person could be found. Perhaps Baroness Deech has some suggestions. As Jonathan says, we are entitled to ask 'what Israel's defenders would regard as unacceptable, if the current level of Israeli violence in Gaza is not enough'.
Robert Carnwath, former Supreme Court justice
Independent witnesses
According to Baroness Deech (Correspondence, 25 July) the Guide to Judicial Conduct calls on retired judges to be circumspect in voicing controversial opinions. This is wrong for two reasons. First, the guide says no such thing. It states 'there is no prohibition on retired judges… [from] engaging in political activity and wider public debate', so long as they do nothing to tarnish the reputation of the judiciary and the perception of its independence. Second, claiming the Israeli government is guilty of war crimes is hardly controversial. We are all witnesses to the mass killing, maiming and starvation of citizens in Gaza. Numerous reputable NGOs and experts have concluded that Israel is committing genocide.
Joel Donovan KC, London W4
Zero imagination
Gary Smith's position on green energy (Interview, 25 July) seemed intransigent and unimaginative. There will be no oil or gas jobs in the North Sea in 30 years' time, for the simple reason that there will be no oil or gas left. A transition is needed, as Smith admits, yet he fails to acknowledge net-zero policies will provide it. As the GMB's general secretary, Smith should see the transformative potential in green jobs for his members.
Freddie Russell, aged 17, East Sussex
Leavers of the left
Oliver Eagleton criticises the government for a foreign policy that is too closely aligned with that of the US (The NS Essay, 25 July). It is bizarre to hear this from a Lexiteer. Many Remain supporters warned that erecting barriers between the UK and continental Europe would leave us a vassal of the US. Keir Starmer and his colleagues have made progress in rebuilding economic and security ties with our European allies, but much of the damage of Brexit remains. I would love to hear just one left-wing Brexit supporter take some responsibility for the dire situation we're in.
Madeline Thompson, Cambridge
Basta
Normally I welcome articles on Europe, but this time Italy has had a raw deal (Vanity Fair, 25 July). Brits appreciative of Italian beauty and culture have been inhabiting Tuscany for centuries longer than Sting, Jamie Oliver and New Labour. If you're going to be sour, it's best to get the facts right. The airline is called 'Alitalia': it's a clever play on all' Italia (meaning 'to Italy') and ali Italia (Italian wings). And whatever Wikipedia says, parte means 'part' more often than 'side', but above all, the self-definition of the fascist journalist Malaparte is the obverse of Bonaparte. Perhaps Finn McRedmond would enjoy his Maledetti Toscani (Damned Tuscans)?
Ann Lawson Lucas, Beverley, West Yorkshire
Own goal
Nicholas Lezard's anecdote about his lady-friend's revelation (Down and Out, 25 July) put me in mind of the time I took a girlfriend to Selhurst Park to see Crystal Palace play. She watched the teams warm up at opposite ends of the pitch. Then, five minutes into the match, she asked: 'Why don't they have a ball each so that they don't have to keep fighting for that one?'
Clive Collins, Suffolk
In sympathy
My heart goes out to Hannah Barnes (Out of the Ordinary, 25 July). I hope writing that heart-wrenching column helped a tiny bit. I sometimes think the world is divided between those who have experienced great loss and those who have yet to do so.
Margaret Bluman, London N19
Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe
Write to letters@newstatesman.co.uk
We reserve the right to edit letters
[See also: One year on, tensions still circle Britain's asylum-seeker hotels]
Related
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Israeli minister confronts long-imprisoned Palestinian leader face to face
Marwan Barghouti is serving five life sentences after being convicted of involvement in attacks at the height of the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, in the early 2000s. Polls consistently show he is the most popular Palestinian leader. He has rarely been seen since his arrest more than two decades ago. It was unclear when the video was taken, but it shows national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for staging provocative encounters with Palestinians, telling Barghouti that he will 'not win'. 'Anyone who murders children, who murders women, we will wipe them out,' Mr Ben-Gvir said. Mr Ben-Gvir's spokesman confirmed the visit and the video's authenticity, but denied that the minister was threatening Barghouti. Barghouti, now in his mid-60s, was a senior leader in President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah movement during the intifada. Many Palestinians see him as a natural successor to the ageing and unpopular leader of the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel considers him a terrorist and has shown no sign it would release him. Hamas has demanded his release in exchange for hostages taken in the October 7 2023 attack that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip. In a Facebook post, Barghouti's wife said she could not recognise her husband, who appeared frail in the video. Still, she said after watching the video, he remained connected to the Palestinian people. 'Perhaps a part of me does not want to acknowledge everything that your face and body shows, and what you and the prisoners have been through,' wrote Fadwa Al Barghouthi, who spells their last name differently in English. Israeli officials say they have reduced the conditions under which Palestinians are held to the bare minimum allowed under Israeli and international law. Many detainees released as part of a ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year appeared gaunt and ill, and some were taken for immediate medical treatment.
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Plastic pollution treaty talks in Geneva end without an agreement
Nations were meeting for an 11th day at the United Nations office in Geneva to try to complete a landmark treaty to end the plastic pollution crisis. They remain deadlocked over whether the treaty should reduce exponential growth of plastic production and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. The negotiations at the UN hub were supposed to be the last round and produce the first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, including in the oceans. But just like at the meeting in South Korea last year, they are leaving without a treaty. Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the chairman of the negotiating committee, wrote and presented two drafts of treaty text in Geneva based on the views expressed by the nations. The representatives from 184 countries did not agree to use either one as the basis for their negotiations. Mr Valdivieso said on Friday morning as the delegates reconvened in the assembly hall that no further action is being proposed at this stage on the latest draft. After a three-hour meeting, he banged a gavel made of recycled plastic bottle tops from a Nairobi landfill. He said the session was adjourned, to be resumed at a later date. Representatives of Norway, Australia, Tuvalu and others nations said they were deeply disappointed to be leaving Geneva without a treaty. European commissioner Jessika Roswall said the European Union and its member states had higher expectations for this meeting and while the draft falls short on their demands, it is a good basis for another negotiating session. 'The Earth is not ours only. We are stewards for those who come after us. Let us fulfil that duty,' she said. Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said despite challenges, despite the disappointment, 'we have to accept that significant progress was made'. This process will not stop, she said, but it is too soon to say how long it will take to get a treaty now. The Youth Plastic Action Network was the only organisation to speak at the closing meeting on Friday. Comments from observers were cut off at the request of the US and Kuwait after 24 hours of meetings and negotiating. The plastics industry also urged compromise. The Global Partners for Plastics Circularity said in a statement that governments must move past entrenched positions to finalise an agreement reflecting their shared priorities. Saudi Arabia said both drafts lacked balance, and Saudi and Kuwaiti negotiators said the latest proposal takes other states' views more into account and addressed plastic production, which they consider outside the scope of the treaty. That draft, released early on Friday, did not include a limit on plastic production, but recognised that current levels of production and consumption are 'unsustainable' and global action is needed. New language had been added to say these levels exceed current waste management capacities and are projected to increase further, 'thereby necessitating a co-ordinated global response to halt and reverse such trends'. The objective of the treaty was also revamped to state that the accord would be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics. The biggest issue of the talks has been whether the treaty should impose caps on producing new plastic or focus instead on things such as better design, recycling and reuse. Powerful oil and gas-producing nations and the plastics industry oppose production limits. They want a treaty focused on better waste management and reuse. Every year, the world makes more than 400 million tons of new plastic, and that could grow by about 70% by 2040 without policy changes. About 100 countries want to limit production. Many have said it is also essential to address toxic chemicals used to make plastics. Thursday was the last scheduled day of negotiations, but work on the revised draft continued into Friday. Science shows what it will take to end pollution and protect human health, said Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicology professor at Sweden's University of Gothenburg who coleads the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty. The science supports addressing the full lifecycle of plastics, beginning with extraction and production, and restricting some chemicals to ensure plastics are safer and more sustainable, she said. 'The science has not changed,' she said. 'It cannot be down negotiated.' Environmentalists, waste pickers and indigenous leaders and many business executives travelled to the talks to make their voices heard. Some used creative tactics, but are leaving disappointed. Indigenous leaders sought a treaty that recognises their rights and knowledge. For any proposal to make it into the treaty, every nation must agree. India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Vietnam and others have said that consensus is vital to an effective treaty. Some countries want to change the process so decisions may be made by a vote if necessary. Graham Forbes, head of the Greenpeace delegation in Geneva, urged delegates in that direction. 'We are going in circles. We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result,' he said as Friday's meeting was ending.
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Healey hopes Trump-Putin summit could be ‘first step' on road to peace
John Healey said the end to any conflict 'must come from diplomacy', before Friday's meeting between the two leaders in Alaska. European leaders are braced for the meeting and have expressed hope about the prospect of a potential ceasefire after a joint call with US president Mr Trump earlier this week. Mr Trump was seen boarding Air Force One to head to the summit around lunchtime UK time on Friday. He had earlier posted 'HIGH STAKES!!!' on his TruthSocial platform. Speaking to reporters on his way to the talks, he said there is a 'possibility' of the US offering security guarantees to Kyiv alongside European powers, but 'not in the form of Nato'. He said it will be up to the Ukrainians to decide whether to concede land to Mr Putin as part of a peace deal, but added: 'I think they'll make the proper decision.' Mr Trump said he is 'not here to negotiate for Ukraine', adding: 'I'm here to get them at a table.' Cabinet minister Mr Healey was asked what lessons from VJ Day – which is being commemorated on Friday – could be applied in the present day ahead of Mr Trump meeting the Russian leader. He told BBC Breakfast: 'The first lesson is that military and fighting solves nothing in the end, and that the end to war must come through talking, must come from diplomacy. 'So today in Alaska is what I hope, we all hope to see, a first step towards serious negotiations.' On Thursday, Mr Trump suggested European leaders could be invited to a second meeting if Friday's summit is successful. Speaking at the White House, he said: 'We have a meeting with President (Vladimir) Putin tomorrow, I think it's going to be a good meeting. 'But the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having. We're going to have a meeting with President Putin, (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky, myself, and maybe we'll bring some of the European leaders along. Maybe not.' Mr Healey dismissed suggestions the UK's approach to the war is to 'watch and wait'. He told the BBC: 'The UK's role is to stand with Ukraine on the battlefield and in the negotiations, and prepare, as we have been, leading 30 other nations with military planning for a ceasefire and a secure peace through what we call the coalition of the willing. 'Our role is to lead the charge, as we have been, on more intensive diplomacy, to lead the charge on military aid to Ukraine so that we don't jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the current war, and being ready also to step-up economic pressure on Putin if he's not willing to take the talks seriously.' Sir Keir Starmer met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, and the pair expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a truce 'as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious' about ending the war, a Downing Street statement said. Concerns linger over the prospect of Kyiv being excluded from negotiations over its own future, and pressured to cede territory, after the US leader suggested any agreement may need to involve 'swapping of land'. Ukraine has already rejected any proposal that would compromise its borders.
