Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Act 2010
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to make provision for giving effect to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 2010 c.11 |
| Introduced by | Chris Bryant MP (Commons) Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead, (Lords) |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 25 March 2010 |
| Commencement | 25 March 2010 |
Status: Current legislation | |
| History of passage through Parliament | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Act 2010 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Act 2010 (c. 11) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which seeks to implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Background
[edit]Before the adoption of the Convention, the UK was heavily involved in "cluster munition production, transfer, and stockpiling".[1] For example, the UK produced BL-755 cluster bombs.[1]
The UK's production and purchase of cluster munitions, led to a stockpile of 190,549 cluster munitions.[1]
Provisions
[edit]The Act makes the "use, development or production, acquisition, possession or transfer of prohibited munitions and making arrangements for another person to acquire or transfer prohibited munitions" illegal with a sentence of up to 14 years' imprisonment.[2]
Further developments
[edit]UK submitted its initial Article 7 report under the Convention on 28 April 2011 with annual updated reports on 30 April 2012 and 30 April 2013.[3]
The Act has been referred to in legal opinions regarding the export of cluster munitions to Saudi Arabia from the UK, for use by Saudi Arabia in Yemen during the Yemeni civil war.[4][5]
It has been reported that the United States stockpiles cluster munitions on UK soil in US bases.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Meeting the Challenge: Protecting Civilians through the Convention on Cluster Munitions (PDF) (Report). Human Rights Watch. 2010. ISBN 978-1-56432-711-6. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ "Common law country update on international humanitarian law: annual update on national legislation, 2010". Commonwealth Law Bulletin. 36 (4): 717–719. 2011-01-06. doi:10.1080/03050718.2010.524351. ISSN 0305-0718.
- ^ "Cluster Munition Ban Policy". Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor. 2013-09-03. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ Asteriti, Alessandra (2017-03-07). "The Use of Cluster Munitions by Saudi Arabia in Yemen and the Responsibility of the United Kingdom". Blog of the European Journal of International Law. European Journal of International Law. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ Sands, Phillipe; Clapham, Andrew; Ní Ghrálaigh, Blinne (2015-12-11). "The lawfulness of the authorisation by the United Kingdom of weapons and related items for export to Saudi Arabia in the context of Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-10-15.