An anti-nuclear group went to court today in a bid to outlaw any decision by Britain to join a US-led war against Iraq without specific UN authorisation.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is seeking High Court permission to launch a full legal challenge against the government, saying Britain would be acting against international law if it attacked Iraq without a fresh Security Council resolution giving the go-ahead to use force.
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"If there is a war against Iraq without a fresh resolution and it subsequently turns out that in law there should have been one, it will literally be too late," CND lawyer Mr Rabinder Sing QC told the court.
Britain has been America's closest ally in its bid to force Iraq to comply with UN demands and its troops are expected to play a key role in any military action.
UN resolution 1441 - at the centre of the case - threatens Iraq with "serious consequences" if it does not comply with weapons disarmament requirements.
Mr Singh, a colleague of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's lawyer wife Cherie, told the court the resolution did not give either explicit or implicit permission for a military strike if Iraq failed to comply.
"We intend to submit that it does not authorise the use of armed force against Iraq in the event of its breach".
The High Court must decide whether it has the power to make a ruling on the case, which is expected to last two days, and whether CND has the standing to bring legal action.
MR Singh said the matter was "a pure question of law" and was one which the court should consider.
He said CND had the right to bring the case in the public interest.