Jeremy Corbyn has questioned whether humanitarian intervention can ever be a legal justification for launching military action, and called for a “war powers act” that would force future UK governments to seek approval from parliament. Legal advice published by the government on Saturday argued that in exceptional circumstances governments can take military action “in order to alleviate overwhelming humanitarian suffering”. However, Corbyn, a former chair of the Stop the War Coalition and longtime opponent of western intervention, said: “The legal basis would have to be self-defence, or the authority of the UN security council. Theresa May will give a statement to parliament on Monday, setting out her case for military action, allowing Corbyn and other MPs to express their concerns. It’s hard work and it takes patience – but surely that is better than the escalation of this conflict.”

Source: The Guardian April 15, 2018 09:28 UTC