|
Tougher anti-terror laws provoke protests
Plans to toughen Britainâs anti-terror laws provoked condemnation from rights campaigners Monday, as passengers faced a second day of disruption after transatlantic flights were cancelled in a security clampdown. Home Secretary David Blunkett was branded a âshameless authoritarianâ by a fellow member of the ruling Labour Party over his scheme to make it easier to convict terrorist suspects. Criminal courts currently must be satisfied âbeyond reasonable doubtâ that a suspect is guilty before convicting, but under Blunkettâs proposed changes prosecutors could merely have to show a person is guilty âon the balance of probabilitiesâ. Prime Minister Tony Blairâs government hopes to see the tougher law adopted before the next general election, which must be held by 2006. Blunkett has said he favours the possibility of terrorism trials being held partly in secret, with certain elements not being communicated to the defence, so as to protect British intelligence sources. He envisages setting up a group of anti-terrorist judges who alone would be entitled to examine information considered sensitive to national defence and which would not be made public.Baroness Helena Kennedy, a Labour peer who sits in the House of Lords, compared Blunkett to Zimbabweâs President Robert Mugabe. Blunkett âreally is a shameless authoritarian,â Kennedy told BBC radio. Kennedy suggested it was untimely to propose convicting suspects on the basis of intelligence material at a time when Britainâs intelligence services face criticism over the failure to uncover weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2004-02-03 |
|
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=25517 |