Kemi Badenoch may quit court over fear of eco damages bill ‘worth trillions of pounds’
A future Conservative government could withdraw from the international court that has left Britain on the hook for trillions of pounds of ‘climate compensation’.
Kemi Badenoch said the UK should not remain under the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if it was against the national interest.
He appointed Shadow Attorney General Lord Wolfson to review the secession case, as he did last year regarding membership of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
His move comes after a think tank warned that a ruling by the Hague-based International Court of Justice last year could lead to the UK facing huge compensation claims.
In the research conducted by Policy Exchange, it was stated that the opinion published by the ICJ, which asserts that nations are responsible for combating climate change, opened the door to filing lawsuits against countries that produced greenhouse gas emissions in previous years.
The organisation, which says Britain is the ‘obvious target’ as the birthplace of the industrial revolution, estimates that it could face compensation claims totaling £4 trillion if it is responsible for 3 per cent of all emissions.
The report also stated that the decision could lead to oil and gas drilling in the North Sea being deemed illegal because it violates environmental obligations.
Ms Badenoch wrote in The Mail on Sunday: ‘I do not believe we should remain within the compulsory jurisdiction of this court unless it is in our national interest to be there. The world has changed. Our approach must evolve with it.
Kemi Badenoch says future Conservative government will leave the International Court of Justice over fears of a ‘climate compensation’ bill that could run into the trillions
Shadow Attorney-General Lord Wolfson appointed by Conservative Party leader to review secession case
‘That’s why I’ve asked my Shadow Attorney-General to consider carefully whether we need to make changes to our agreements and report back to me by the autumn.’
And he warned: ‘If this court gets its way, we will no longer be able to exploit our natural resources in the North Sea and we will be forced to pay trillions of pounds in compensation to developing countries for historic carbon emissions.
‘Unless ministers act now, this latest decision risks becoming another way of hindering our ability to grow our economy, strengthen our energy security and defend our national interests.’
He called on new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to dismiss Labor Party members who “put international law before national interests”, such as Energy Minister Ed Miliband.
Earlier this year, the UK endorsed the opinion of the International Court of Justice at the United Nations.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘The UK supported the International Court of Justice hearings and the UN General Assembly resolutions, particularly their focus on international cooperation and the central role of the Paris Agreement in tackling climate change.
‘Although neither the Advisory Opinion nor the UNGA resolution is legally binding, we welcome their contribution to international debates on climate action.’
