Get you up to speed: British lawyers’ body suspends ICC Prosecutor Khan over misconduct claim
Britain’s Bar Standards Board has suspended International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan effective immediately amid ongoing allegations of sexual misconduct. This follows Khan’s previous suspension by the ICC after an investigation found he engaged in “serious misconduct” and a “serious breach of duty.”
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has announced that the interim suspension of Karim Khan will be reviewed by an Interim Suspension Panel within four weeks. The ICC is set to vote on Khan’s potential removal from office on 24 July 2026, following earlier serious misconduct findings.
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has suspended International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan following allegations of sexual misconduct, effective immediately, as part of ongoing investigations. The ICC is set to vote on Khan’s potential removal from office on 24 July, while his legal team intends to contest the ICC’s previous suspension citing “serious misconduct.”
What remains unclear — The outcome of the ICC’s scheduled vote on whether to remove Khan from office on July 24 is yet to be determined.
British lawyers’ body suspends ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan over misconduct claims
News|ICCBritish lawyers’ body suspends ICC Prosecutor Khan over misconduct claim
Khan is the subject of multiple investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct at the ICC.
Published On 19 Jun 202619 Jun 2026
Britain’s independent watchdog for lawyers has suspended the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) said the suspension was effective immediately. The move comes just a week after the ICC suspended Khan, who has led numerous high-profile prosecutions of senior figures in the conflicts in Sudan, Russia and the Middle East.
The 56-year-old prosecutor faces allegations of sexual misconduct with a female aide. The accusation was first reported more than two years ago. Khan has denied any wrongdoing.
“The interim suspension must now be considered by an Interim Suspension Panel at a hearing within the next four weeks,” the BSB update read.
Two coworkers initially brought allegations of misconduct against Khan to the ICC’s watchdog, but an initial investigation was closed after the woman involved in the claim declined to make a formal complaint, saying she feared retaliation.
The accusation came as Khan sought arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. In response, the United States, which does not recognise the ICC, sanctioned 11 of its staff, including Khan, revoking their US visas and blocking their bank accounts.
On June 8, the ICC’s executive committee suspended Khan after an investigation found he engaged in “serious misconduct ” and a “serious breach of duty”.
Khan’s lawyers rejected the ICC’s decision and have pledged to challenge the decision.
Khan had temporarily stepped down from his position since May 2025 pending the outcome of a separate, external inquiry launched by the United Nations’ Office of Internal Oversight Service.
In April, the UN investigators found that Khan had “nonconsensual contact” with his aide in “his office, at his private residence” and while on a mission, according to reporting by The Associated Press.
However, a three-judge panel selected by the ICC’s oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), to conduct a legal assessment of the report rejected it.
The UN investigators had “failed to indicate which witnesses’ testimony they found credible” and “did not resolve narrative inconsistencies,” the judges wrote.
The ICC has scheduled a vote on whether to remove Khan from office for July 24, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing diplomats and documents. WTX News was unable to immediately verify the report.