04 Sep PSC Campaign: Local Government Pension Scheme Divestment

DPG client Palestine Solidarity Campaign (“PSC”) has issued a request backed by detailed legal submissions in a Position Paper to every council in England & Wales administering a Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) fund, outlining that they must take steps to divest from companies enabling and profiting from Israel’s human rights violations against Palestinians. Such obligations extend to any companies facilitating human rights violations in any country.

The legal submissions set out why the UK is under a legal obligation not to recognise or assist Israel in its violations of international law and must take steps accordingly.  The scope of such obligations is far-reaching and extends to the UK’s investment relations with Israel including investments via local government pension schemes.

The legal submissions also set out that Local authorities administering a local government pension fund must take prompt action to divest from companies enabling or profiting from Israel’s unlawful conduct. This includes arms companies supplying the Israeli state with weapons which may be used to commit violations of international law such as the Geneva Conventions and the Genocide Convention and companies involved in the financing and construction of Israel’s illegal settlements on Palestinian land.

DPG sent a letter to Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State with responsibility for the LGPS, on behalf of PSC. This outlines that she too is under an obligation to produce guidance to administering authorities requiring an end to investments in companies which aid or assist in the commission of the Israeli state’s violations of international law.

The full position paper can be viewed here.

PSC is represented by DPG partner Zubier Yazdani, Mark Hylands and David Garrick at DPG, and Max Du Plessis SC, Dr. Tatyana Eatwell and Joshua Jackson at Doughty Street Chambers.

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