The Convention on Modern Liberty took place today. Shami Chakrabarti’s introductory speech was passionate, as it should be in the circumstances. The complaints against liberty in Britain today included: British complicity in extraordinary rendition The long period of pre-charge detention Control orders Extradition to the United States without equal reciprocal […]
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Convention on Modern Liberty: “What we have lost”
From the Convention’s “Abolition of Freedom Act 2009”: One of the problems with the erosion of liberty in Britain over the last decade was that the public failed to pay attention to what was happening in Parliament. Laws that fundamentally challenged our traditions of rights and liberty and flew in […]
Read MoreOn-the-spot points for careless driving
The Assault on Liberty continues: Thousands more motorists will lose their licences under plans to give police the power to issue penalty points for careless driving without evidence being heard in court. … Unlike existing fixed-penalty offences, such as speeding and using a hand-held mobile phone at the wheel, the […]
Read MoreDavid Davis warns MPs of erosion of civil liberties
Via David Davis warns MPs of erosion of civil liberties | Politics | The Guardian : “Oppressive” laws that erode civil liberties are passing through parliament unnoticed by MPs, supporters of a new campaign, the Convention on Modern Liberty, said yesterday. Describing Britain’s parliamentary system as amounting to “terrible democracy”, the Conservative […]
Read MoreTerror suspects were tortured in Pakistan under UK policy
A policy governing the interrogation of terrorism suspects in Pakistan that led to British citizens and residents being tortured was devised by MI5 lawyers and figures in government, according to evidence heard in court. A number of British terrorism suspects who have been detained without trial in Pakistan say they […]
Read MoreModern Liberty
Via Spy chief: We risk a police state – Telegraph: Dame Stella [Rimington, ex-head of MI5,] accused ministers of interfering with people’s privacy and playing straight into the hands of terrorists. “Since I have retired I feel more at liberty to be against certain decisions of the Government, especially the […]
Read MoreFT.com / UK / Business – Danger in bank bill, warn lawyers
Further attacks on the classic understanding of the rule of law, under which legislation should not be retrospective: A new law aimed at staving off banking crises would give the authorities dangerously wide scope to intervene in struggling institutions on grounds of public interest or financial stability, lawyers warned. The […]
Read MoreFT.com / UK – Brown calls for bonus clawbacks
Again Gordon Brown forgets that people were often paid in shares: Britain’s financial regulator should be able to force failing bankers to hand back their bonuses, Gordon Brown, UK prime minister, said on Thursday. Amid rising public and political anger over the scale of bankers’ bonus pay-outs, Mr Brown said […]
Read MoreLabour’s Class Law
An end to equality before the law? Every public body will have to take class background into account when making decisions under radical new legislation unveiled by the Government today. The law means that all public authorities – from Whitehall to local councils – will be subject to an over-arching […]
Read MoreBailiffs get power to use force on debtors – Times Online
Further powers for privately-employed bailiffs to use force to enter and seize private property. It is claimed these powers are already abused. In one case, an 89-year-old grandmother returned home to find a bailiff sitting in her chair having drawn up a list of her possessions. He was pursuing a […]
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