On July 6, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, issued a landmark judgment on diplomatic immunity and human trafficking, in the case of Basfar v Wong [2022] UKSC 20. The judgment of the Court, delivered by a majority of 3-2, limits diplomatic immunity in cases involving human trafficking, servitude or other forms of modern slavery.
The Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, Siobhan Mullaly, noted that “This is a hugely important judgment, and is likely to influence state practice and international law developments on diplomatic immunities and the protection of migrant domestic workers world-wide. Until now, the dominant interpretation of international law tilted the balance of power in favour of a serving diplomat, even in the face of egregious human rights violations. This has now changed.”
