Legal Basis for UK Sanctions Policy

Abstract

This article analyzes the formation and development of the legal foundations of the UK sanctions policy. Based on the principles of «Realpolitik», the concept of «Sanctions Policy» is being studied not as a ponderous academic construction, but as a real political and legal tool for the implementation of the external functions of the English state. The reader is offered a brief historical and legal review of the evolution of sanctions legislation, starting with the Royal Decree of 1621, the Navigation Act (1651), the Stamp Act (1765), the Townshend Acts (1767) and ending with the sanctions legislation of the EU, where the UK was a member before Brexit . The focus is on a detailed analysis of the Law on Sanctions and Combating Money Laundering of 2018, as well as by-laws, including the Regulations on Sanctions for Chemical Weapons (2019) and the Regulations on Sanctions for Violations of Human Rights (2020).Since the UK legal system belongs to the system of case law, the authors attempted to analyze the most important court decisions in this area, including: the case of HM Treasury v. Ahmed (2010) and Vekselberg, better known as Lamesa Investments Limited v. Cynergy Bank Limited (2019).In conclusion, it is concluded that the UK’s sanctions policy is based primarily on its geopolitical interests, and not on the immutable principles of law.

Keywords

• cанкционная политика
• ограничительные меры
• законы о санкциях
• санкционные регламенты
• великобритания