Introduction

Abstract This introductory chapter provides an overview of the history, scope, and legal foundations of UK sanctions law. It begins by positioning the UK sanctions framework in the context of European foreign policy, examining the aims, sources, and the reach of both national and supranational legislation. The chapter groups sanctions into four categories—financial sanctions, trade sanctions, immigration sanctions, and aircraft and shipping sanctions—and defines each. It distinguishes between overreaching ‘sanctions systems’ also called ‘sanctions frameworks’, and ‘sanctions regimes’ targeted at a specific state, organization, or individual. The following two sections trace the historical evolution and sources of the UK’s sanctions framework, looking at sanctions regimes implemented by the UN Security Council following the Cold War and the Council of the EU’s use of Restrictive Measures. Finally, the chapter turns to the UK sanctions framework pre-Brexit, namely the Policing and Crime Act 2017 (PCA) and the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (SAMLA).