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It really was a good day to bury bad news.
As the press went into overdrive about the vote to permit gay marriage, a House of Commons committee quietly axed amendments to the Justice and Security Bill that would have made it less damaging to your freedom.
This is the controversial Bill to allow ‘secret courts’ in the UK, so cases that are potentially embarrassing to government can be held behind closed doors.
As it now stands, defendants – or claimants in civil cases – will be excluded from the hearings where their fates will be decided. They will not be allowed to know or challenge the details of the case against them and will have to be represented by a security-cleared special advocate, rather than their own lawyer.
Are alarm bells ringing in your head yet?
Apparently the Bill has been drafted in close co-operation with the security services, who have claimed other countries may stop sharing intelligence with Britain if it risks being disclosed in open court. Clearly the intention is to deal with terrorism cases but there is no necessary limit to the possibilities.
The House of Lords had amended the Bill last November after concerns were raised about the threat to civil liberties. The changes would have meant judges could only grant secret hearings – or ‘Closed Material Procedures’ (CMPs) – if other alternatives like the existing system of public interest immunity had been ruled out.
A call to permit such hearings only after balancing the government’s call for it against the ancient legal principles of open justice was also thrown out.
Secret hearings could now become the default in cases where the existing system for fairly handling sensitive material could instead have been used.
Human rights organisations Amnesty International, JUSTICE, Liberty and Reprieve have condemned the changes, which mean secret material – never disclosed to the claimant, let alone the public or the press – would routinely be used to defend serious allegations.
In other words, if this Bill becomes law, the government would be able to do anything it likes, to anyone it likes, under a veil of secrecy. It’s a clear contradiction of the Conservative Party’s own pre-election commitment to a far more open and accountable Parliament, and also of the Coalition Agreement, which stated: “The Government believes that we need to throw open the doors of public bodies, to enable the public to hold politicians and public bodies to account.”
But don’t just take my word for it. Amnesty International UK Head of Policy and Government Affairs, Allan Hogarth, had this to say: ““If the Bill becomes law we will end up with victims of human rights violations being prevented from seeing secret evidence against them and even being prevented from talking to their own lawyers.
“It’s ludicrous and totally contrary to basic principles of open justice.”
The government says the Bill is perfectly safe because the final decision on whether to hold proceedings in secret will be up to the judge.
And we all know that they are entirely beyond reproach.
Right?
Mike Sivier's blog 
This is the Establishment digging in, making the laws to suit themselves. It brings us another step closer to open civil warfare in this country. I suppose we should be encouraged by how scared they are though.
Yes. I believe Civil Unrest will be the only way out the EU, this is hunkering down by the Europhiles, preparing to enforce the EUSSR
Says someone who names himself after a king who ruled part of France and couldn’t speak English.
Oh the delicious irony.
Well Mr. Plantagenet, I guess it doesn’t matter how oppressed we are by a domestic government as long as we don’t have those rotters from abroad trying to protect us with that silly Human Rights nonsense.,
Let us return to good old Norman feudalism, serfdom and slavery! At least we are British and proud!
i like and agree with your comment chibipaul
we are returning to feudalism,
I’m not sure what you’re getting at here. What has the EU got to do with this matter? It is our own government that is trying to put the UK on the same judicial level as a fascist dictatorship.
Sorry chibipaul. That should have been a reply to Richard.
Hi Joan,
No worries, I assumed it was 😉
totalitarian state on the way.
Reblogged this on HUMAN RIGHTS & POLITICAL JOURNAL.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/yvonne-stewart-taylor/queen-had-abdicated-and-the-pope-has-resigned-11213-fraud-exposeurgent-update/501778796551528
Good on kevin Annette and all his supporters. End Game.
should we really expect anything else from these schmuks?….i want no part of the one big society
They must be worried about Egypt-like revolts.
or the arrest of kiddy fiddlers in parliament. The cops are getting closer.
If only that was at all likely. The apathy most people feel about these matters is just as scary…or do people think there is a point beyond which even the sheeple cannot be pushed?
Winter is never good demonstrating weather, but come April there will be 600,000 households suddenly realising they can’t afford to live in their houses anymore. I’m not sure the government has thought through the implications of that many people trying to move at once when there isn’t any housing…and I suspect it may make the Poll Tax riots look like a children’s tea party.
The government are probably thankful they’ve at least kept the Metropolitan Police on their side…oh, hold on…
one rule for one and one for another yet again eh !
I would expect nothing less from a fascist government.
I had been wondering what issues might be buried under the beef/horse scandal. I heard about this issue on R4 a few weeks back and it scared me then. The U.S. government is already using charges of ‘Terroristic Behaviour’ against anti banking protesters. Soon we may see American’s running our police force, charges of terrorism being made against legitimate protest, which will then lead to trial in secret courts. The term Witch Hunt comes to mind.
It’s America’s NDAA isn’t it
wow have some people only just realized we are getting screwed ? We are in one massive corrupt little system from the top to the bottom, what i wouldn’t give for a box to tick that say’s – I want nothing to do with the government or the queen stick it!!! i will live on this plot of land like the good life keep your health system and you’re benefits i will be fine on my own
google …..freeman on the land
also google ‘claim of right’ and dowload the PDF of the book ‘Freedom is more than a seven letter word’ by Veronica Chapman available free through google.
How could you allow it to go this far? Wake up people!
The reason it has got this far, is that as far as I am aware, we do not have a say in what is passed for law in this country. The politicians promise us all sorts of things, but they don’t tell you about all the other little plots they have sitting on the back burner…
well could Machiavelli be more happy. Hitler couldn’t have done better and Orwell is rolling over in his grave.. there is no doubt that your tories are planning a one world takeover,, always made supicious that our MY country tis of thee was played to the same tune as God save the Queen.. frankly our faimiliy divorced those distant cousins years agoo bloddy evl bloody wankers
So whats new?, Some time back a council official to avoid getting in trouble for trying to force us out of a house she wanted for her friend made false allegations of drugs and violence against us, she got a local bent copper to back her up. we tried for a couple of years to get this sorted, but the Police(despite full knowledge, and evidence that the allegations were false) won’t act against their own, The IPCC, actually only take such cases if the Police OK it so refused to accept any evidence or witness’s other than the PC’s statement that he could not recall what he had said. When i finally approached Civil rights groups i was asked if i was black, asian, gay or an immigrant, when i said no i am a middle aged, white hetrosexual englishman, they ALL said Sorry we cann’t help.We left England a year later.
The high rollers behind the government have us right where they want us now. Either we fight back, and i do mean fight if necessary, and they then impose martial law and never recind it, or we sit back and do nothing, which being British is far more likely, and they take over by stealth. It’s too late now for electing another corrupt government. Britain has turned it’s back on it’s own, and the ones in power now have the foundation for the ‘Orwellian’ state they want. These internet discussions are all very well, but nobody is going to do anything about it, because there is not the will to organise and act together.
I disagree to a certain extent. We have seen organised protest in this country already. The trouble is that, yes, most of the people here are extremely apathetic. It’s the “I’m all right, Jack” culture, isn’t it? Maybe it’ll take another election, and the results of that, to wake people up.
But, to return to the point, people have been protesting, almost since the Coalition first started tinkering with the system.
A lot of the trouble has to do with corruption, and that’s why I started my petition on the government’s e-petition’s website – to ban MPs from speaking on or voting in debates on measures from which they might make money. http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/44971 – please sign if you haven’t already.
Mike, i’m afraid the protests that have taken place, are no longer anything like enough. The nation needs to risk all and bring the country to a grinding halt. Organise help for those that may need it, and keep the country at a complete shut down untiln the government resign. They will not listen to anything else. It’s as simple as that. The British pussy foot around whilst the government laughs at them. We need to take lessons from the French and Spanish. If the government goes to far, they act, and act hard until the politicians give up. It’s now the ONLY way.
Slightly more worried about the “Growth & Infrastructure BIll” here in Lancs – we are heading for a fracking unless the opposition gets much louder….
so many of those affected..i.e.disabled, very ill, elderly (to some extent but they know its only a matter of time before its their turn), are unable because of their age,disabilities etc to do much if anything physically. they are scared they are angry and they feel totally used and let down by all thats happened in the past 2 years and useless against it …its not apathy with them. its inability. unfortunately the above along with the unemployed and those in low paid jobs. the latter 2 who probably ARE more able, but a smaller majority. the apathy comes more from those tory supporters, those who cant believe anyone could do all these things to people, who think its all a myth that people are suffering. that refuse to believe what their eyes are seeing,ears are telling, because they’ve closed their minds to it all. then theres the smaller group who think it wont happen to them,
I fully understand how you feel. I was declared permanently disabled in 1998. In 2002 the works and pensions dept re accessed me as no longer disabled. They never told me, and i was never assessed by anybody. I found out when i went to Spain on doctors advice, and tried to get treatment. They have now given three different reasons, why they will not cover me, on three seperate occasions. This government, the civil service departments that service the government, and many politicians are simply scum. They have no regard for the elderly whatsoever, or the sick or infirm. Their solution is to leave them to get on with it, in the hope that they die quickly, while they give all the benefits etc to foreigners. I’ve never been a rascist, but i’m fast becoming one. I’m not a pensioner yet either, but i see what pensioners are going through. I and so many others have paid vast sums of money all our lives, but under this government, we are not even entitled to ordinary medical treatment, let alone the benefits any foreigner is paid as soon as they apply for it. i never thought as a retired Police officer, that i would say this, but i now advocate reasonable force, to remove any government or politician, that does not serve the people or that commits any crime, We have been far too soft for far too long. Politicians have forgotten that they are our employees, and we are their bosses. It’s about time we started to act like it. We should be setting their salaries on a performance realted basis. We need to stop immigration for ten years. Repatriate all fist generation immigrants, of ANY colour. It should be a condition of entry, that you have enough money to house and feed yourself, and that you will learn basic English within two years. If you commit a crime, cause unrest, slander the state, demonstrate against it’s religion, you will be expelled immiediatly, for good. No social security for immigrants, and i mean none, ever. If you cannot get a job, you leave. If you want medical treatment, you pay for it. If you cannot you leave. We must put ourselves first. Finally, no more paying of war debts ever, or supporting other countries in any way for at least 15 years, or until such time as our own country is secure and it’s people are safe, secure and all are out of poverty. It’s hard but it is necessary, and the only way out now. There is no other answer. Succesive governments have seen to that.
I have to agree with you, but they are also taking a really big attack on mental health full stop, I been pushed to these meetings about work and not ONE of there points cover mental heath and how it affects the person(me) but also how it will affect the people around me(The Public) so if I am forced in to work and my health problems means someone gets hit in the face with a flying keyboard, not aimed at them but it happens I would be held at fault of this, anger, emotions and other problems like this really need to be taken in to account for peoples safety.
I never really dare to speak out as I feel the working class feel as I am unable to work that I don’t have say in what happens, I have tried so many ways to be part of the working class but simple jobs they wont offer support in and they just want me to work at lets say tescos, and its not like I can hide in the back ALL of these shopping centers make it clear your main role is NOT the role you are doing, you are requested to do all roles from dealing with the public what’s a bad idea for me to mopping up, if it was end of the night no one around I might be able to mop up just, but other things can also make this harder what are not taken in to account.
I like your comments about this matter and I agree with them, other places have the same rules about going in to there country like Japan is a good point, you need enough money to live and feed yourself how your there, and if you want to live there you have to know there language, I also know some countries that request you have a open ticket just in case they want to kick you out for no reason.
I still feel like I am talking out of turn here but I do give back to my community and I have always helped out people that need it, this country has lost its history and its now lost its future, I feel the human race as a hole is perfectic but we just proving this fact at the moment in this country.
You can’t beat a good Police State though, can you? As long as you are on the right side of it, that is…Good stuff. Regards, Pete, Norfolk.
Reblogged this on skwalker1964 and commented:
The Tories used press focus on the gay marriage vote to slip through an almost-unnoticed amendment that means they can do what they like, to whom they like, in secret. So much for their laughable promises of open and transparent government. Please read this great article by Mike Sivier.
‘And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind,
to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy,
murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters,
inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents.
Without understanding, covenantbreakers,
without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which
commit such things are worthy of death,
not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them’.
The People Vs The Government, DWP and Atos
We just had this to the inbox.
Hi
I work within the dwp so please don’t use my name as it could cost me my job.
The dwp are rolling out nationally an initiative to work with 120k families whose lives are blighted by joblessness, single parents, crime and truancy. We have specially trained personnel to work closely with them to break these harmful trends and integrate them into society, improve their lives and make working the preferred options.
However what has not been released and is being kept hush hush is that these families are to achieve certain targets working with our staff and stakeholders, professional organisations which have been hand picked to get the desired results as expediently as possible. The department is investing a great deal of resources into this project and participants are to be under no illusions that equal investment and commitment are required from them. This will not be an option where families can choose not to be involved in…..if they refuse to participate, their benefits will be stripped under sanctions. If after a period of 26 weeks results are not forthcoming and improvements tangible and sustained all benefits will be withdrawn. The adults will either have to work in any position that can be found and will be paid via fuel food and basic clothing. If the children continue to truant and participate in anti social behaviour those under 13 will be taken into care and those over 13 will be expected to work under the same terms as their parents with tutors twice weekly to ensure a basic level of literacy and numeracy. They will not be living with their parents but in dormitory accommodation. Tenders have been received and a short list drawn up for the lots as with pip. Fore runners are G4S, Deloittes, Veolia, Capita and Serco
Myself and many other staff are horrified but are powerless to stop this. The govt are saying they will save more on what they cut on the benefits including DLA for the people in these families getting high rates for anger and behavioural problems, housing benefits and benefits for babies and children. Any of the parents having children throughout or once they’ve failed the initiative will be taken into the care of local authorities. The families will be allowed supervised access at contact centres as deemed acceptable by the people overseeing the project and the handlers for the individual families.
This is all underway and being arranged as we speak. The govt see these families as an absolute blight on society and one way or another are determined to get rid of them in any way they can. Their view is that support and money haven’t helped, ASBO’s are a joke and seen as a badge of honour and children whether in these families or other families on low incomes are a drain on resources and they believe if they stop paying then the children will stop being born and those already here will have to either conform or to be excluded and earn their keep. To get disability allowance for children is going to be nigh on impossible which is why the reforms haven’t targeted them, new plans are underway as the perception is that ALL children need care and parents know this before having them therefore there are only very rare circumstances where additional support is justifiable.
Thank You
What a sad bunch of people live on this planet. The majority are good, and know the best way for our planet to be run. The minority have the power and use it to keep the majority down, and take what money they have. Whose to blame ? It’s quiet easy really. WE DAMN WELL ARE ! Because we have let them get away with it for years, and we continue to do so. They will never listen to the people now. Democracy has failed and we are at a crossroads, whether we like it or not. The only way it will stop, is by civil disobedience, which will undoubtedly lead to violence, as governments do not want to give up their stranglehold on the people, and lose the financial backing form the puppet masters. Stop blaming everyone else. Either do something, and stop being afraid of telling it how it is, or say nothing.
The biggest danger of the Secret court cases is that the Security Service and Government will use them to hide wrongdoing. There is evidence of this already. The Martin McGartland case against MI5 is in the news, a case concerning MI5′s recklessly withdrawing medical treatment from the former British Agent. A simple case of breach of duty of care that has nothing at all to do with ‘National Security’. MI5 are just desperate to cover-up for poorly trained staff;
“MI5 and the Home Office are being sued by Martin McGartland
By Ian Burrell – 07 May 2013
MI5 has allegedly applied for a controversial secret court hearing after being sued by a former IRA mole who claims he has been denied medical treatment after being shot in a reprisal attack.
Martin McGartland, originally from west Belfast, has been credited with saving the lives of 50 police officers and soldiers in Northern Ireland as a spy within the IRA providing intelligence to the special branch of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
He is suing MI5 and the Home Office for failing to support him after he was attacked and repeatedly shot by an IRA hit team who tracked him to a safe house in North Tyneside in 1999.
Mr McGartland told The Independent in London that solicitors acting for the Home Office, the government department responsible for the Security Service, have applied to have the matter dealt with by a Closed Material Procedure (CMP) hearing.
At CMPs, due to come into force shortly with the introduction of the Justice and Security Act 2013, claimants must be represented before the judge by special advocates who have been cleared for security. Such a hearing would mean that neither Mr McGartland or his lawyers were able to attend.
Labour, which says CMPs deviate from the “tradition of open and fair justice”, has called for the use of such closed proceedings to be limited unless a judge agrees a fair verdict cannot be reached by any other means.
The Law Society president, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, has also raised objections to CMPs on the grounds that they undermine the essential principle of justice that all parties are entitled to see and challenge all the evidence placed before the court.
CMPs are seen by the Government as a way of bringing before a judge information which, for security reasons, cannot be revealed in open court.
Mr McGartland said that funding for treatment he was receiving for the post-traumatic stress disorder he suffered after the assassination attempt had been stopped. He claimed the secret hearing was designed to cover up the Home Office’s failure to meet its duty of care, rather than to protect genuine state secrets.
“This is being done despite my legal case against them being related to their removing funding for my medical treatment, which they were funding after my 1999 shooting,” he told The Independent. “They removed the medical funding even after they were supplied two medical reports stating that I required a further three to five years of treatment. That resulted in a serious deterioration in my condition and it also led to my now requiring round-the-clock care, help and support. In other words MI5 are going to use CMP solely to cover up their own embarrassment and wrongdoing and not, as the Government has been claiming, in cases that relate to ‘National Security’.”
Mr McGartland has become a high-profile IRA mole, with his experiences forming the basis of the 2008 film 50 Dead Men Walking, named after the number of lives he is said to have saved. His cover was blown in 1991 when he fell under suspicion and was “arrested” by the IRA before being taken for interrogation. Believing he was about to be murdered after eight hours of questioning, he threw himself from a third-floor window. He suffered serious head injuries but was rescued by locals who called an ambulance.
Although the security forces gave him a new identity and a home in England, he was outspoken in criticising what he saw as failures in the campaign to counteract terrorism.
Mr McGartland believes that his willingness to speak out about his experiences has contributed to the Government’s decision to stop paying for his medical and psychiatric care.
A Home Office spokesman said: “There are ongoing legal proceedings in this case and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment.”
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/mi5-allegedly-applies-for-secret-court-session-after-ira-mole-sues-for-being-denied-protection-29248360.html
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