British lawyer to oversee ICC investigation into Israeli war crimes in Palestine
London (Quds News Network) – A prominent British lawyer, Andrew Cayley, has been appointed to lead the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into possible Israeli war crimes in the Palestinian territories, according to information obtained by The Guardian.
Cayley, a seasoned barrister and former military prosecutor, was selected by the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, to oversee the high-profile investigation. Expected to manage the day-to-day operations of the complex case, Cayley will collaborate with American lawyer Brenda Hollis, reporting directly to Chief Prosecutor Khan, who is also a British barrister.
Given the politically sensitive nature of the case, sources familiar with the investigation view it as a significant test for the prosecutor’s office. The probe poses legal and operational challenges, particularly as Israel does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction, and its leaders have openly opposed the judicial body. Efforts by Khan to arrange visits to Gaza have been thwarted by Israel.
A spokesperson for the prosecutor confirmed Andrew Cayley’s appointment as a principal trial lawyer overseeing the unit of investigators responsible for the Palestine case. Cayley, well-known in The Hague, previously worked at the ICC in the 2000s and served as a prosecutor and defense counsel in various international criminal tribunals.
Cayley, who recently stepped down as chief of the inspectorate overseeing England and Wales’ Crown Prosecution Service, previously held the position of the UK’s chief military prosecutor. Notably, he played a key role in a process that led to the ICC prosecutor’s decision in 2020 to abandon an investigation into allegations of war crimes by UK military personnel in Iraq.
Although Cayley openly supports the UK’s Conservative party, having donated £10,000 in 2019, he maintains that his party affiliation does not compromise his independence as a prosecutor.
The ICC, responsible for prosecuting individuals, is distinct from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, which is separately considering cases related to Israel’s offensive in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian lands.
The ICC investigation traces its origins back to 2015 when Khan’s predecessor, Fatou Bensouda, initiated a preliminary examination of allegations involving war crimes by Israel’s armed forces and Palestinian militants in the occupied territories. Six years later, a panel of ICC judges affirmed the prosecutor’s jurisdiction to pursue a comprehensive criminal investigation, with Bensouda launching the case shortly before completing her nine-year term in June 2021. Karim Khan succeeded her as Chief Prosecutor.
