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Monday, March 28, 2016

Diplomatic immunity v. local law

Should diplomats still have immunity?


Car plates reading "CD"
Diplomatic immunity puts officials from overseas above the law of the country in which they live. Is the system open to abuse?
Imagine breaking the law and no-one can stop you. Ignoring parking tickets. Never paying tax. Getting away with murder.
It's all possible, in theory, if you're an ambassador. Under the 1961 Vienna Convention, diplomats are immune from prosecution in their host country.
The system has long proved controversial - not least since PC Yvonne Fletcher was shot dead outside the Libyan Embassy in 1984 - and is once again under the spotlight thanks to an unusual battle fought in London's courts.
Saudi businessman Sheikh Walid Juffali launched a diplomatic immunity defence after his ex-wife, former Pirelli model Christina Estrada, made a claim on his estimated £4bn fortune. The court heard they separated in 2013.

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