Khan: Denies all allegations of misconduct
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has suspended Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, two years after it emerged there were allegations that he sexually abused a lawyer on his team.
The BSB’s decision means Mr Khan, who was called to the Bar in 1992, can not practise as a barrister in England or Wales. He denies all the allegations.
In a short statement on its website, the BSB confirmed: “Barrister Karim Khan has been suspended from practice by the chair of the BSB’s Independent Decision-Making Body.”
The BSB said Mr Khan had been given an interim suspension, which, under its enforcement regulations, must go before an interim suspension panel hearing within four weeks.
The suspension came into force on 19 June.
The BSB’s announcement follows the ICC’s decision to suspend Mr Khan two weeks ago, in light of the allegations he is facing.
After his successful career as a barrister and Crown prosecutor in the UK, Mr Khan was appointed as the ICC’s chief prosecutor in 2021.
Three years into his nine-year term, a female lawyer came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
Over the last three years, various investigations and legal assessments of the evidence have reached different conclusions.
The administrative leaders of the ICC’s governing body – known as the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) – asked the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (IOSO) to independently investigate the allegations.
It has been reported that, after an 18-month investigation, the IOSO concluded there was a “factual basis” to the allegations.
However, when the ICC asked three judges – from Belgium, Jamaica and South Africa – to legally assess the OISO report, it is said that they found the UN investigators did not establish misconduct or a breach of duty to the criminal standard of proof.
As with the IOSO report, the judges’ findings have not been released publicly but there have been press reports about their contents.
Last month the Bureau voted to suspend Mr Khan with immediate effect pending a special session of the ASP to consider the matter. It emphasised that the suspension was not an indication of the final outcome.
“The assessment of the Bureau was based on the report of an investigation undertaken by the [OIOS], the underlying evidence, the advice of an ad hoc panel of judicial experts, and written submissions,” it said.
Mr Khan, who is represented by leading London law firms Carter Ruck and Bindmans, has always denied the allegations.
He took voluntary leave from the ICC last May, whilst the investigations and his legal challenge took place.
In a statement, Carter Ruck said: “The interim action which has been taken by the Bar Standards Board is based on a decision announced on 8 June 2026 by the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties of the ICC.
“Our client highlights that an independent judicial panel, appointed by the Bureau itself, came to the unanimous conclusion that the evidence and factual findings by the UN Office of Internal Oversight ‘did not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant legal framework’.
“Nevertheless, the Bureau – an executive and political body – has purported to substitute its own assessment for that of the independent judges it appointed.”
The ICC prosecutes politicians and military figures who commit war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The court has 125 member countries, including the UK, which was a founding member.
In February 2023, just weeks before the sexual abuse allegations were raised, Mr Khan submitted an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, relating to the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.
In May 2024, Mr Khan submitted an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.
The US, which is not a member of the ICC, last year imposed sanctions against both the institution and Mr Khan, including freezing bank accounts, shutting down access to email and imposing travel restrictions.
Carter Ruck added: “As he has consistently made clear, Mr Khan unequivocally denies all allegations of impropriety. He maintains that he has acted at all times fully in accordance with his professional obligations.
“Mr Khan’s legal team is taking all necessary steps to challenge the decision of the Bureau, protect his rights, and ensure that due process is upheld.”
The case is due to go before the ICC’s 125 member states in July, when the governing body will decide to accept or reject the evidence against Mr Khan. The ICC may then vote on whether Mr Khan can return as chief prosecutor.
BSB overreach
He has taken leave of absence since May
Nothing proved against him
What happened to innocent until proved guilty ?