JURIST - Paper Chase: UK court rules against Iraq war inquiry

[JURIST] A UK High Court judge ruled Tuesday that Military Families Against the War (MFAW) and the Stop the War Coalition [advocacy websites], representing British families of soldiers killed in Iraq, cannot challenge the government's refusal to hold a public inquiry into the UK decision to go to war [JURIST report]. Last month, the groups petitioned the court for permission [JURIST report] to launch a legal challenge [press release] to the government's refusal to hold an inquiry, arguing that the refusal violates Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights [text] requiring that a proper, adequate investigation be conducted when lives are lost. Justice Collins ruled Tuesday that the groups did not have an actionable case and refused to hold a full hearing in the matter. Collins' decision can still be appealed to the Court of Appeal. The groups first called for an inquiry [JURIST report] in May, and subsequently filed suit against UK Prime Minister Tony Blair for war crimes [JURIST report] in the International Criminal Court. BBC News has more.

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