Attorney General's speech at the London Conference on International Law 2026

Thank you for the invitation to speak here today.

This is my first speech on international law as Attorney General, and I’m really glad to be giving it at the London Conference, in front of an audience who understands its importance and has contributed to its development.

Today is a day that I will look back on with pride. This morning I was at the Royal Courts of Justice, where I took my oath and was sworn in as Attorney General for England and Wales.

Taking part in that ceremony was a reminder of the history and significance of the job. I’m joining a long line of Attorneys General who have had to contend with the thorniest issues of their day.

Before entering politics, I spent more than a decade as an employment rights lawyer.

I represented trade unions and their members, before establishing my own consultancy to support women facing discrimination at work.

What that experience taught me is that law does not exist in a vacuum, just as international law is not some abstract concept we can do away with.

It determines whether people are treated fairly, whether they can provide for their families, and whether they can assert their rights when things go wrong.

Integral to my role as Attorney General is upholding the rule of law within government, including our obligations under international law. This is personal to me.

In 2007, and then again in 2012, I visited Colombia and I saw and heard about the grave human rights violations happening there.

Those conversations followed me through the doors of Parliament where I continued to advocate and speak up.

The experience only continued to strengthen my belief in the importance of standing up for human rights, and my support for international law.

But I am concerned in recent years those values and beliefs have come under repeated assault.