Government Cleared To Appeal Against Saudi Weapons Trade Ruling

Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of forces in Yemen (Picture: PA).

The Government has been given permission to appeal to the UK's highest court against a ruling that its decision to continue licensing military equipment for export to Saudi Arabia was unlawful.

Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), which brought the case, hailed a landmark legal victory last month.

The group argues that the decision to continue to license military equipment for export to Saudi Arabia, which is leading a coalition of forces in the conflict in Yemen, was unlawful, as there was a clear risk that the arms might be used in a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

The Court of Appeal ruled that the Government "made no concluded assessments of whether the Saudi-led coalition had committed violations of international humanitarian law in the past, during the Yemen conflict, and made no attempt to do so".

CAAT announced on Friday that the Government had been granted permission to appeal against that ruling to the Supreme Court.

The group said the Supreme Court had also rejected the Government's application to lift a temporary block on new export licences, which it said means that the more than 50 outstanding applications will not be determined while the Government re-evaluates the legality of current licences.

Andrew Smith of CAAT said they were "disappointed" about the Government's permission to appeal, but that they "welcome the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the current ban on arms sales".

The case will be heard by the Supreme Court on a date to be fixed.