United Kingdom: International Law

Two individuals have been convicted on multiple counts of illegally exporting military hardware to sanctioned countries, breaching UK arms embargos through elaborate schemes involving fake documentation and circuitous transport routes. The case involves unlicensed sales of ex-Soviet military equipment including jets, missile systems, and assault rifles to Sudan, South Sudan, and Libya over a seven-year period.

Gowling WLG is an international law firm comprising autonomous member entities that operate independently while coordinating activities through Gowling WLG International Limited. The firm's structure involves member firms and affiliates across multiple jurisdictions, each maintaining separate legal identities. Understanding this organizational framework is essential for clients seeking legal services from the firm's global network.

As multilateral systems face growing strain and institutional legitimacy faces fundamental challenges, this session examines how international law is made, contested and enforced when major powers selectively invoke norms and traditional governance anchors lose influence. The discussion maps structural challenges confronting international law and asks whether states should rebuild institutions, create new ones or rethink the foundations of global governance.