I said yesterday that reports of Charles Clarke rethinking his controversial suspension of habeas corpus was, perhaps, premature. Seems I was right. Not that I take any pleasure in it. Indeed, he plans to press ahead – this is part of the New Labour pledge to control our borders. He told Sky News:
“What I said in the House of Commons was that we would be introducing a regime of control orders, up to and including the ability to restrict people on the premises they live, and that is what we will be doing.”
There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon, however. The Tories are finally getting some moral fibre and springing (if a little creakily) to the defence of our cherished liberties alongside the Liberal Democrats. This means that should they follow through, (and work together) a defeat in the Lords is highly possible.
Liberty are outspoken in their condemnation of the proposals and along with other critics (including myself) believe that the government should prosecute and try suspects if they have sufficient evidence. If they don’t have the evidence then they have no right to detain. That someone might commit an offence is just not good enough. Any of us could find ourselves on the wrong side of the party in power and at the whim of the Home Secretary be detained because we might pose a threat to national security with no recourse to the evidence against us. The government’s argument is that putting the evidence before the courts will compromise agents in the field. Fine, hold the proceedings in camera. They argue too, that evidence such as telephone bugging is not admissible evidence. Okay, if they can dispose of habeas corpus at the drop of a hat, can they not amend evidence requirements? Of course they can – however, doing so would mean that political dissidents cannot be detained at the whim of politicians.
Cynical? Moi? 
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