Cheers Peers; Lords reject terror bill
Jim Jepps
 The
Government has suffered a welcome set back in its attempts to increase its own
powers to commit injustices and abuse. Peers today voted to reject plans to
allow Ministers to issue control orders rather than having to go through the
courts (and judicial process).
Peers overwhelmingly defeated this key piece of "anti-terror"
legislation by 249 to 119. Unfortunately MPs will get another bite of the cherry
on Wednesday, but the government is extremely weak on its own benches when it
comes to this legislation and almost suffered a defeat on the issue the last
time the house debated this.
This legislation was put forward when the lords ruled that the
government's detention without trial was unlawful in December and existing
legislation expires later this month. Unfortunately this is not the end of UK's
layers of unjust laws, rules and practises - but it is a welcome moment of
hesitation in the steam roller rush to obliterate our civil liberties.
Peers inflict terror bill defeat (BBC)
Peers defeat anti-terror bill
(Guardian)March 2005
|