Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has announced the establishment of a new “Gaza Tribunal”, set to be held across two days in September.
The event’s organisers, the Peace and Justice Project (aka the Corbyn Project), say it will hear evidence from “experts and witnesses” to “establish the full scale of our government's complicity in the genocide against the Palestinian people”.
The tribunal was established after the government blocked a bill brought by Corbyn last month attempting to force the creation of a full public inquiry into the UK’s role in the Gaza War.
Following the failure of that motion, the Tribunal has been created as an independent alternative.
The hearing will be divided into four sections, each with a corresponding question: “What has happened in Gaza?”, “What are Britain's legal responsibilities?”, “What has Britain's role been in the genocide?” and “Has Britain lived up to its legal obligations?”
These will examine such topics as “the scale of human suffering, devastation and destruction in Gaza” and the supply “of weapons, surveillance aircraft and use of Royal Air Force bases”.
However, since it is not an actual public inquiry, it will not have the power to compel witnesses to give evidence nor will its findings hold any substantive legal weight.
As such, it appears that testimony will be given by a range of witnesses selected by organisers who, based on the outline of the topics, will begin from a position that there is a genocide being perpetrated in Gaza – something which has not been legally established and is not the position of the UK government.
Announcing the Tribunal on his X page, Corbyn wrote: “Earlier this month, the government blocked an inquiry into its complicity in the Gaza genocide.
“We don’t need their permission to uncover the truth.
“That’s why, today, we are announcing The Gaza Tribunal.”
The event will take place at Church House in Westminster, beginning at 10am on September 4 and running until the following evening.
Proceedings will also be livestreamed in their entirety on YouTube.
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