ECHR President Criticizes Sunak's Rwanda Deportation Plan

Ignoring a Rule 39 order would breach international law, says Síofra O'Leary, while Sunak insists he will ignore such orders under certain circumstances.

Rishi Sunak's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda has been criticized by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), with the court's president, Síofra O'Leary, stating that ignoring a Rule 39 order would breach international law.
The UK Prime Minister has insisted he will ignore Rule 39 orders under some circumstances through powers that he is taking in his new Rwanda Bill, currently before Parliament.
Deportation flights to Rwanda have been blocked since the first was grounded by a Rule 39 order issued by a ECHR judge in June 2022.
Internal legal advice to Mr Sunak by his attorney general Victoria Prentis KC, and official legal advice from the Government’s two most senior lawyers, have stated that ignoring a Rule 39 order would be a breach of international law.
The Lords voted by 214 to 171, majority 43, earlier this week to support a motion to delay the treaty with Rwanda that paves the way for the divisive asylum scheme.