UK bar regulator suspends ICC prosecutor Karim Khan over misconduct findings
Britain’s Bar Standards Board, which regulates barristers in England and Wales, suspended International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan on June 19. The move follows the ICC’s own suspension a week earlier, after the court found Khan had engaged in “serious misconduct” and a “serious breach of duty.”
The findings stem from allegations that Khan had non-consensual contact with a female aide — at his office, his residence and during missions — according to UN investigators cited by Al Jazeera . Khan denies wrongdoing. The original complaint, lodged more than two years ago, was initially closed when the woman declined to file formal charges over fears of retaliation. Khan, 56, temporarily stepped aside in 2025 pending the investigation; the ICC has scheduled a vote on his permanent removal for July 24.
The case carries weight beyond Khan personally. As prosecutor he led politically charged investigations into Sudan, Russia and the Middle East, including arrest-warrant requests for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that drew US sanctions against him. His prolonged absence and possible removal leave the court’s most sensitive cases without their lead prosecutor at a moment when the institution is already under external pressure.