29/01/2026 | 12:54:12 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Colleagues, the immediate crisis has been averted, not by chance, but by the resolute, united diplomacy of European nations. I commend the work of the Danish Government together with the UK Government and our European partners who, through firm dialogue, successfully upheld the rule of law. But while we should celebrate this victory of diplomacy, we cannot rest on it. The question now is not just how we survived this test, but how we... 28/01/2026 | 17:33:05 Thank you. Accountability is when you must explain and justify your actions. If you fall short and you fall short of your duties, then you face consequences. Hamas must be held accountable for 7 October and the Israeli government must be held accountable for what happened next. When the rules-based international order collapses in one region, it threatens the framework of justice everywhere. If we accept impunity in Palestine, we undermine every human rights convention that this institution... 02/10/2025 | 12:51:14 Thank you Mister President, I would first like to thank Lord Michael GERMAN for his comprehensive and urgent report on the devastating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Two years have passed since the appalling terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023. The taking of hostages and killing of innocent civilians was a war crime and an abhorrent act that cannot be justified. But Israel's response has been grossly disproportionate, has collectively punished the Palestinian people and has created an... 01/10/2025 | 17:28:37 I begin by expressing huge thanks to Lord Richard KEEN for his characteristically thorough and authoritative analysis conducted at great speed on this vital opinion. I also wish to thank those members of this Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Europe officials who have worked tirelessly on this issue. Colleagues, there are many reasons to be pessimistic about the future of international law and the international rules-based order, but the promise of an International Claims Commission... 24/06/2025 | 11:16:19 Thank you, Mr President. We all recognise the real and pressing challenges our nations face. But in my view, the case for rewriting the European Convention itself is not at all clear. First, national governments already have plenty of scope to act within the Convention as it stands. Take the UK. The UK Parliament has already been tightening up how Article 8, the right to family life, applies to foreign offender deportations for several years. The UK has legislated to define when the public... 30/01/2025 | 10:59:53 Thank you, Mister President. Colleagues, every day, lawyers across Europe face mounting pressures simply for doing their jobs. Last year, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe published a report which heard from 15 000 lawyers across Europe. And the testimonies were shocking: physical attacks on lawyers in Sweden; criminal lawyers in Denmark warned to avoid certain areas because of the criminal defence work they were engaged in; immigration lawyers facing death threats, as Lord... 28/01/2025 | 14:46:04 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) The comprehensive report by Ms Bakoyannis comes at a critical moment. Democracy needs defending. Arecent study in the UK on young people in Britain paints a deeply troubling picture. A staggering 52% of those aged between 13 and 27 believe our nation would be better served by a strong leader who does not have to bother with parliament and elections. In my constituency of Folkestone and Hythe in Kent, I regularly meet young people who express...