The Australian government could use an international court to force Egypt to free imprisoned journalist Peter Greste, in the same way it got Japan to end its Antarctic whaling program, a leading human rights lawyer says.

Australian lawyer Geoffrey Robertson, QC, based in London, said the sentence handed down to Greste was “an outrage and a blatant breach of the international guarantee of freedom of speech”.

Geoffrey Robertson says the jailing of Peter Greste is an "outrage" and a breach of the guarantee of freedom of speech. Credit:Julian Andrews

He urged the Australian government to take immediate action against Egypt, in the same way it used the International Court of Justice in The Hague to make Japan end its whaling in the Antarctic ocean.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1966, commits its signatories to supporting freedom of speech, due process and a fair trial.

Peter Greste (left) listens to the verdict from the defendants' cage. Credit:AFP

Egypt signed the treaty in 1967 and ratified it in 1982.

Mr Robertson said: “After Australia’s success against Japan in the whaling case, we should be making more use of international legal avenues, and this is the only way in a world forum that Peter could be vindicated.”

