Diplomats who exploit domestic staff cannot rely on immunity, says UK supreme court

The supreme court was not asked to judge the veracity of the claims, but only the issue of whether Basfar’s treatment of Wong was protected by diplomatic immunity if amounted to modern slavery. Photograph: Guy Bell/Rex/Shutterstock

The UK’s highest court has ruled that diplomats who exploit domestic workers in conditions of modern slavery cannot rely on diplomatic immunity to prevent compensation claims.

Describing exploitation of migrant domestic workers by foreign diplomats as a “significant problem”, the supreme court ruled by a majority of three to two that exploitation of a domestic worker for profit falls within the “commercial activity” exemption to immunity under the diplomatic convention.