Top lawyers have written to the Government urging it to step up actions to "stop the slaughter" by backing an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The letter said the group is "profoundly concerned" at ongoing violations of international humanitarian law starting with the Hamas attacks on October 7 and continuing now with Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
The group of 76 members of the legal community includes 16 King's Counsel, the dean of a law school, and a former chief human rights commissioner.
"What is occurring in Gaza is shocking the conscience of the New Zealand public. A ceasefire is a first step towards ensuring that international law is upheld. The government needs to follow up on its actions in the last fortnight and be crystal clear that it backs an immediate, permanent ceasefire," Max Harris, a barrister and signatory said.
Last week, New Zealand was one of the 153 United Nations members to vote for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. The Government also put forward a motion supporting "steps towards" a ceasefire. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2023/12/nz-among-153-united-nations-members-to-demand-humanitarian-ceasefire-in-gaza-10-against-23-abstentions.html
However, the letter urges the Government to go further and "unequivocally" speak out in favour of an immediate and permanent ceasefire. It also calls upon the Government to denounce the likely breaches of international humanitarian law and international human rights laws.
"It is time for lawyers to speak out because the whole body of international humanitarian law is being gravely undermined," one of the signatories of the letter Frances Joychild KC said.
"These laws developed from the learned experiences of the horrors of war and aim to protect innocent civilians. The government has a tradition of taking a lead in upholding and advocating for the strengthening of humanitarian law.
"Now is the time for it to step up its actions to stop the slaughter and daily atrocities happening in Gaza."
