HUMAN Rights experts have said action against the Government over Saudi Arabian arms deals could help shape future arms policy.

The UK Government could soon be taken to court over arms deals with Saudi Arabia, after the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) stepped up legal proceedings claiming the government broke international laws.

In a letter sent to the Department of Business and Innovation, CAAT’s legal representatives claim trading arms with the gulf state is unlawful due to the “clear risk” that the weapons may be used in violation of international humanitarian law.

The group have given the department 14 days to suspend the licences that allow the export of arms to Saudi Arabia. If it does not the legal proceedings will officially begin, and the government will be forced to defend its actions in the high court.

Scottish human rights lawyer

Aamer Anwar pledged his support for the legal bid, saying that if CAAT were successful it could change the way the UK Government deals in arms all over the world.

“The CAAT action is extremely important because it has the potential to hold our government to account for the lies and hypocrisy at the heart of our arms trade," he said. "If successful it could impact on our trade in misery and death with other countries.”

“At a time that Saudi Arabia stands accused of the systematic slaughter of innocent lives, our Government engages in double standards and complicity in alleged war crimes. Sadly it would appear that as long as we are making money, that is enough for successive Westminster Governments to dispense with any semblance of support for human rights.”

Alongside the 19-page letter to the Government sent this weekend, CAAT released statistics showing that more than £5.6 billion worth of arms had been sold to the gulf state since David Cameron took office.

On Friday, the Ministry of Defence was forced to deny that six of its employees were helping the Saudi government select targets for bombing in Yemen, claiming that MoD officials were “not directly involved” in military operations.

In the wake of the 47 beheadings that took place in Saudi Arabia at the turn of the year, the SNP have called for arms trading with the nation to cease.