"Enforce the Law Genocide Act 1969 postcards" [NMLH.1993.150.7]

Catalogue Number
NMLH.1993.150.7

Object Name
postcard

Title
ENFORCE THE LAW Genocide Act 1969

People
Pax Legalis

Date
1988?

Description
Three printed postcards on A4 with perforations to tear each postcard away separately (one A5, two A6 size). The larger of the two designs has bold black text reading "ENFORCE THE LAW Genocide Act 1969" with smaller text below. The two smaller designs have similar bold text reading "UPHOLD THE LAW Genocide Act 1969" with some smaller text below. The reverse all feature bold text "DECLARATION OF RESPONSIBILITY" with spaces to write a signature, address and date. The larger postcard has a pre-printed address to send to "Sir Patrick Mayhew QC MP, The Attorney Generals Chamber, The Royal Courts of Justice, London WC2A 2LL".


The postcards argue that the British Nuclear Strategy "will inevitably result in genocide in the event of war, thus violating the Genocide Act of 1969". It was produced by Pax Legalis, an anti-nuclear campaign based in Yr Wyddgrug (Mold). In 1987, they attempted to take Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Secretary of State for Defence Michael Heseltine to court using the basis of the Genocide Act 1969. Though they never expected to win, the group aimed to highlight the hypocrisies of the government as Thatcher had famously said that "the first duty of Government is to uphold the law" at her 1975 conference speech. When the case was ultimately refused, Pax Legalis were able to demonstrate that the High Court had created a situation whereby Government Ministers could only be prosecuted with the permission of the Attorney General, a Government-appointed role.

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