Don't try to push us around, lord chief justice tells Labour

[cal04]

The government should not attempt to browbeat judges over its new anti-terrorism laws, the new senior judge in England and Wales warned yesterday. The lord chief justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, said judges were not in conflict with the government but said that it would be "wholly inappropriate" for a politician to try to put pressure on them. His strong defence of the judiciary's independence comes after Tony Blair, speaking recently on the subject of treating suspected terrorists, said the "rules of the game" were changing.

The clash over human rights and national security will play itself out over the autumn, when senior judges are asked to approve the deportation of terror suspects to Algeria and other countries with poor human rights records. Four appeal court judges have already warned anonymously they "won't buckle" by just rubber-stamping the "no torture" deals struck with foreign governments.

The statement yesterday by Lord Phillips, in his first media briefing since taking over from Lord Woolf, makes plain that he will support senior judges who insist it is their job, not that of ministers, to interpret the law. "Occasionally one feels that an individual politician is trying to browbeat the judiciary, and that is wholly inappropriate. We are all trying to do our job to the best of our abilities," he said at the Royal Courts of Justice.

"I'm taking up this office at a time when it is said in various quarters that judges are in conflict with the government. They are not. Judges are in conflict with no one. The judiciary has a clearly defined role, which is to apply the law as laid down by parliament," said Lord Phillips.Tony Blair denied that he was "browbeating" the judiciary and went on to warn the judges - again in explicit terms - that they must not rule against the anti-terror measures that were being proposed. "When the police say this is what we need to make this country safe, you have got to have good reasons to say no to that."

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,15935,1590090,00.html

[Canuckistanian]

1. Hmmm, politicians trying to browbeat the judiciary..

... where have I heard that before?

[cal04]

2. seems like the UK and Australia sound

more and more like him everyday

[Canuckistanian]

3. Australia as well?

What's the story there?

[cal04]

4. Not as bad there but they have new laws there too

Australia's political leaders have agreed on a range of tough new anti-terror laws. Under the measures, the security agencies will be allowed to detain terror suspects without charge for 14 days and the police will have greater stop-and-search powers.

Prime Minister John Howard said that these "threatening" times required "a strong and comprehensive response."


The laws, giving police unprecedented powers to detain terrorism suspects without charge for up to 14 days, will also be subject to review after five years under a deal struck at yesterday's leaders' summit in Canberra.But the safeguards, while appeasing the state premiers, failed to impress civil liberties and human rights advocates who described the new police powers as invasive and a threat to individual rights and freedoms.The laws, to be passed by all states and territories this year, are a response to growing fears of terror attacks by extremists living in Australia. They follow similar moves in Britain after the London Underground bombings, which were carried out by British residents.

[toffee prophet]

5. Things are pretty darn grim out here in Australia

I think they're as bad in Australia as they are anywhere else actually. John Howard is probably to the right of Bush and Blair in a lot of ways. Grim times down under. And times are going to get grimmer.

[Canuckistanian]

6. Last I heard, Australians aren't too impressed with *ush

So why do they put up with *ush propaganda? Is there any hope for progressives down there?

[toffee prophet]

7. Not great amounts of hope really...

I think most Australians think of Bush as an idiot. Clinton really was loved in Australia and still is really, whereas Bush is sort of known to be an idiot. The trouble is we keep voting in John Howard, who is as conservative as you can get, who basically has complete power to get up all his various horrible agenda, including crushing the unions for good and half a dozen other things, including the new anti-terror laws. Not much hope over here at the moment. The Labour party is very weak. The only chance for the next election is if they go too far, which they probably will, and alienate all the swinging voters. Maybe there's some more hope but I don't see much. Bad times getting worse.

[newyawker99]

8. Hi toffee prophet!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: