Crossroads in London on the Road to Nuremberg: The London International Assembly, Exile Governments and War Crimes

During the Second World War, representatives of occupied European countries fled the continent, mostly to Great Britain. From 1940 onwards, exiled political representatives of Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Yugoslavia and Free France were situated in London. This initiated debates about a broad range of legal issues, ranging from recognition and legitimacy to post-war justice. Law thus became a focal point in London, both imperative to uphold statehood and legitimacy in exile and an indispensable tool for planning and structuring the post-war world. This article looks at the pre-history of the UNWCC and presents interests and forces behind the creation of such a commission, and the attempts of different groups, states and individuals to maintain agency. This article will introduce discussions around the St James’s Declaration, the London International Assembly (LIA) and at Chatham House as important steps leading towards the UNWCC.