The International Criminal Court’s new chief prosecutor is controversial
Karim Khan will have to mend the court’s tattered reputation
BORIS JOHNSON’S government was cock-a-hoop. The election on February 12th of Karim Khan, a British barrister, as chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague was surely a sign that Britain still had diplomatic heft post-Brexit. Mr Khan’s appointment would be “pivotal in ensuring we hold those responsible for the most heinous crimes to account,” beamed Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary. Others say Mr Khan’s appointment is less a diplomatic coup for Britain than for Kenya, whose government has done much to damage the ICC’s credibility. As a result, some fret that Mr Khan may not be the champion of the downtrodden the post demands.
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