CLAIMS linking Jersey court proceedings involving Roman Abramovich to delays in releasing funds from the sale of Chelsea FC to help victims of the war in Ukraine have been rebutted by the Shadow Attorney General.
It comes after senior Conservative peer Lord David Wolfson KC was criticised by the Labour party for being part of the legal team representing Mr Abramovich as he attempts to recover more than £5.3 billion of assets frozen in Jersey.
UK government ministers have said that the Jersey case is delaying the release of over £2.35 billion from Mr Abramovich’s sale of Chelsea Football Club, which the former owner pledged for humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
But the Conservative party has argued that because Jersey is a different legal jurisdiction, the case had no bearing on the release of the funds from the Chelsea sale.
Speaking during Prime Minister’s questions this week, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer backed his party’s criticism of Lord Wolfson’s role, telling Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch: “How can someone sit in her shadow cabinet, advising someone trying to escape sanctions, and pretend that their policy is to support us on sanctions?”
Lord Wolfson wrote directly to the Prime Minister after those remarks, stating the claims were “wrong”.
He said he is not advising Mr Abramovich on UK sanctions or on the proceeds of the Chelsea FC sale.
“I am solely instructed in on-going litigation in Jersey,” he wrote.
“The litigation in Jersey is about breaches by the Jersey Government of data protection rights, and claims arising from those breaches.
“The UK Government is not a party to that litigation, which is not about challenging UK sanctions and has nothing to do with the donation of the proceeds of sale of Chelsea FC.”
Lord Wolfson noted that the proceeds from the Chelsea sale “are held in the UK”, and added that there is agreement between the government and the opposition that those funds should go to humanitarian causes in Ukraine.
“There is nothing between us on this issue,” he wrote.
He also rejected the assertion that he is a member of the Shadow Cabinet, stating that as Shadow Attorney General he advises on legal issues but does not sit as a Cabinet member.
Lord Wolfson claimed he had attended only part of one Shadow Cabinet meeting to present legal advice on withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Shadow Attorney General pointed to Mr Starmer’s own words from when he was leader of the opposition.
He wrote to the Prime Minister: “You said: ‘Lawyers represent clients. Doctors treat patients. The fact a doctor treats a patient doesn’t mean the doctor agrees with what the patient’s beliefs are.’
“You said you wanted to ‘turn a corner’ in 2026, but instead you seem to have turned your back on the views you used to hold dear.”
The letter follows mounting political scrutiny of Jersey’s role in litigation brought by Mr Abramovich against the Island’s authorities, and claims by UK ministers that those proceedings are impeding the release of billions of pounds pledged to victims of the war in Ukraine.
