Tony Blair is one court decision away from standing trial for the Iraq war

Tony Blair could still face prosecution over the Iraq War if a judge overturns a 2016 ruling which gives him immunity from criminal charges.

Lord Chief Justice Thomas of Cwmgiedd – the most senior judge in England and Wales – along with justice Duncan Ouseley will review the decision from Westminster Magistrates' Court which ruled the former prime minister could not face criminal charges over the controversial 2003 war, reported the Guardian.

The move to bring forward a private prosecution against Blair was blocked after the court ruled any attempt in doing so would involve revealing details currently kept under the Official Secrets Act.

The attempt the remove the immunity from Blair is being brought forward by the former chief of staff for the Iraqi army, Gen Abdul-Wahid Shannan ar-Ribat.

The case is hoping that Blair, along with former foreign secretary Jack Straw and former attorney general Lord Goldsmith, can face trial for the crime of "aggression".

Jeremy Wright, the current attorney general, is seeking to uphold the block on prosecution against Blair. His lawyers will argue that while the crime of aggression is recognised by international law, there is no such offence in English law. The attempt to prosecute Blair follows on from the release of the Chilcot Report last year.

The former PM was heavily criticised in the much-delayed, 2.6 million word report into the war which the UK became involved in under the false assumption that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction at his disposal.