Blair v Blair in the War Against Terror/human rights

[cal04]

CHERIE Blair yesterday made an extraordinary criticism of her husband's government as she called for the judiciary to stand up to the "hurly-burly of majoritarian politics" in the war on terror. Judges, she said, should resist political pressure over the conviction of suspected extremists and uphold human rights legislation.

She spoke as Mr Blair was making the opposite case, recounting how judges had thwarted his attempts to throw out extremists and complaining that "we still have not woken up to what this thing is about". Whereas Mr Blair was striking consensus with Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy in Downing Street over new terror laws, his wife was becoming a voice of opposition as she gave a lecture in Malaysia.

She stressed she did not want to make light of the bomb blasts in London or the challenges being faced by British police and intelligence services. But she added: "At the same time, it is all too easy for us to respond to such terror in a way which undermines commitment to our most deeply held values and convictions and which cheapens our right to call ourselves a civilised nation."

An independent judiciary, she said, had "the important task of reviewing executive action against the benchmark of human rights".
She made clear that the pressure to convict on the proposed new laws of inciting or glorifying terrorism should be guarded by regard for British civil liberties. "In our troubled times where terrorism, division and suspicion of others are the order of the day, this role for judges is perhaps more vital than ever before," she told 1,000 lawyers, diplomats and academics in Kuala Lumpur.

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1686952005

[Maple]

1. Her homecoming

should be fun

[tuvor]

2. Everyone gets it but tony. n/t

[emad]

3. Cherie warns on anti-terror moves: BBC

Civil liberties must not be undermined by the government as it responds to the London bomb attacks, prime minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie has warned.

It would be "all too easy" to fight back in a way "which cheapens our right to call ourselves a civilised nation", said the barrister in Malaysia.

She stressed her comments should not be seen as making light of the attacks.

But Tory homeland security spokesman Patrick Mercer said the remarks came at a "desperately insensitive time".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4719977.stm

JUST desperate to save her own skin.....

[Roland99]

4. Hmm...things not all well on the homefront?

And what's with this??




:puke:

[mazzarro]

5. That is a bold stand which I strongly doubt any of the spouses

of the ruling elites in this side of the Atlantic will be hard pressed to equal at such a sensitive time.