Michael Wood (lawyer)

{{For|similarly named persons|Michael Wood (disambiguation){{!}}Michael Wood}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Michael Wood

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| office1 = Principal Legal Adviser to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

| term1 = 1999-2006

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|02|05|df=yes}}

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| education = Trinity Hall, Cambridge

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Sir Michael Charles Wood {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCMG|KC}} (born 5 February 1947) is a member of the International Law Commission. He was the principal Legal Adviser to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office between 1999 and 2006. During 35 years as a lawyer in the FCO, he attended many international conferences, including the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. He now practices as a barrister from chambers at 20 Essex Street, in London.{{Cite web|title=Sir Michael Wood|url=https://twentyessex.com/people/michael-wood/|access-date=2021-09-01|website=Twenty Essex Street Chambers|language=en}}

Biography

Wood gave evidence to the Iraq Inquiry in November 2009 and in January 2010, in which he stated that he advised Jack Straw, then Foreign Secretary, that the invasion of Iraq was illegal without a second United Nations resolution.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/jan/24/iraq-chilcot-inquiry-michael-wood|title=Iraq war was illegal, top lawyer will tell Chilcot inquiry|author1=Townsend, Mark |author2=Helm, Toby |author3=Syal, Rajeev |date=24 January 2010|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian News and Media|accessdate=26 January 2010}}

In 2012, Wood was appointed as Special Rapporteur for the International Law Commission regarding the topic of the "Formation and evidence of customary international law" by the United Nations General Assembly.{{Cite web |title=International Law Commission |url=https://legal.un.org/ilc/summaries/1_13.shtml |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=legal.un.org |language=EN}} In 2018, the International Law Commission concluded the "Draft conclusions on identification of customary international law" under his supervision, which the General Assembly acknowledged by resolution 73/203 of 20 December 2018 and brought them to the attention of States.{{Cite web |title=ODS HOME PAGE |url=https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N18/457/41/PDF/N1845741.pdf?OpenElement |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=documents-dds-ny.un.org}}

Wood was Principal Legal Advisor at International Court of Justice advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence. In March 2023, he was appointed a King's Counsel.{{Cite web|title=Crown Office|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4320224|access-date=2023-03-30|website=London Gazette|language=en}}

References

External links

[http://legal.un.org/avl/ls/Wood_PS.html Lecture] by Sir Michael Wood on International Law and the Use of Force: What Happens in Practice? in the [http://legal.un.org/avl/lectureseries.html Lecture Series of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law]
[http://legal.un.org/avl/ls/Wood_PS.html Lecture] by Sir Michael Wood on The Interpretation of Security Council Resolutions in the [http://legal.un.org/avl/lectureseries.html Lecture Series of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law]
[http://legal.un.org/avl/ha/silc/silc.html Introductory note] by Sir Michael Wood on the Statute of the International Law Commission in the [http://legal.un.org/avl/historicarchives.html Historic Archives of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law]
[http://legal.un.org/avl/ha/cppcipp/cppcipp.html Introductory note] by Sir Michael Wood on the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents, in the [http://legal.un.org/avl/historicarchives.html Historic Archives of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law]
[http://legal.un.org/avl/ha/csm/csm.html Introductory note] by Sir Michael Wood on the Convention on Special Missions in the [http://legal.un.org/avl/historicarchives.html Historic Archives of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law]

Category:1947 births

Category:Living people

Category:British civil servants

Category:Members of Gray's Inn

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George

Category:Lawyers awarded knighthoods

Category:English King's Counsel

Category:21st-century King's Counsel

Category:Members of HM Diplomatic Service

Category:People educated at Solihull School

Category:Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge