21st April 2012
“Christian” Offensiveness and Free Speech
On the 12th April the news broke: a Christian group had booked adverts to be displayed on the side of London’s buses. Later that day the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, had stepped in and the adverts were cancelled by London Transport.
Make no mistake, the adverts were offensive and quite possibly misleading. The adverts, declaring “Ex-gay, Post-gay and proud. Get Over It!”, were not based on any scientific evidence that the promoted reparative therapy to alter sexual-orientation actually works and is not harmful in itself, and the tone of the adverts were such that offence was sure to be taken.
24th February 2012
Almost There for Protection of Freedoms Bill
The Protection of Freedoms Bill is now awaiting its third reading in the House of Lords, which will mark the point when it has passed most of the hurdles on its way to becoming law. The Bill includes many measures relating to civil liberties, yet there are some very disappointing omissions in its form.
10th November 2011
The Protection of Freedoms Bill – Good and Bad Latest
The Government’s flagship civil liberties and human rights Bill, named the Protection of Freedoms Bill by the Coalition, made successful passage through the House of Commons, having its third and final Commons reading on the 11th October 2011. There were, however, some grave concerns at the methods the government used to thwart some important amendments.
6th October 2011
The Government is Deciding on Human Rights Issues by Misrepresenting Them
There have been some serious developments regarding civil liberties as the conference season took place. Firstly the students arrested for unfurling a banner, then the Mayor of London's draconian speech, and then catgate, the Home Secretary's assault on human rights law.
27th June 2011
Labour Still Doesn’t Get “Innocent Until Proven Guilty”
Innocent. It is, in English law, the default status of any and every person in the nation. The term “innocent until proven guilty” is known the country over. Except in the Labour Party. At Prime Minister’s Questions on the 22nd June, Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, rounded on David Cameron, accusing him of effectively allowing women to be raped.
8th June 2011
The Freedom Bill – Truncated
In 2009 the Liberal Democrats published what they trumpeted as the milestone in the civil liberty movement: the Freedom Bill. The resulting Protection of Freedoms Bill 2011 falls far short of what was hoped for.
27th January 2011
Control Orders Stay, With Nifty Politicking
On the 26th January the Government’s counter-terrorism review was finally published, and Theresa May, the Home Secretary, outlined in a statement to the Commons how the government would now proceed.
3rd November 2010
Anti-Terror Laws in the Spotlight
The review of counter-terrorism laws has brought to stark attention the disparity between the Liberal Democrats and their Conservative partners. The publication of the review has now been put back, but already there are signs of a serious rift emerging in the coalition Government.
6th October 2010
Home Secretary Gives Mixed Signals on Liberty
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, gave a passionate speech to the Conservative Party’s annual conference yesterday, in which she outlined Labour’s failure to tackle crime and extremism and gave some indication of what the present Government will undertake to do.
