UK ties with Gaddafi were like ‘a criminal conspiracy’, high court hears – The Guardian

Posted December 17th, 2015 in closed material, conspiracy, intelligence services, Libya, news, rendition, trials by tracey

‘The relationship that the British security services forged with Muammar Gaddafi’s regime a decade ago amounted to “a criminal conspiracy with a foreign dictator”, according to evidence before the high court, where a dozen Libyan dissidents who were subsequently targeted by the British authorities are bringing a claim for damages.’

Full story

The Guardian, 16th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Transcript of the Lord Chief Justice’s Annual Press Conference 2015 – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, held his annual press conference on Tuesday, 17 November, 2015, at the Royal Courts of Justice.’

Full transcript

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 17th November 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Sir Brian Leveson: Security and Justice – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Sir Brian Leveson, President of the Queen’s Bench Division gave the 13th Annual Isaiah Berlin Lecture in London on 12 November 2015.’

Full text

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 13th November 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Bank Mellat and disclosure in closed material proceedings

‘Bank Mellat is an Iranian bank, initially subjected to a 2009 order which prohibited anybody in the UK from dealing with it – until the Supreme Court quashed it: here, and my posts here and here. ‘

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UK Human Rights Blog, 28th October 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

European court of human rights rules secret hearings legal – The Guardian

Posted October 21st, 2015 in closed material, deportation, detention, human rights, inquiries, news, warrants by sally

‘Secret hearings to determine whether suspects should be held without charge during anti-terror investigations are legal, the European court of human rights has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 20th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Secret court case application numbers more than double in a year – The Guardian

Posted October 16th, 2015 in closed material, intelligence services, news, public interest, statistics by sally

‘The number of official applications for secret court hearings more than doubled in the past year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice.’

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The Guardian, 15th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Should national security ever trump the right to a fair trial? – The Guardian

‘A ruling on whether ‘secret’ evidence from convicted murderer Wang Yam can be heard at the European court of human rights has far wider significance.’

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The Guardian, 22nd September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court of Appeal backs secret hearings as Government faces IRA and Iran cases – The Independent

Posted July 15th, 2015 in appeals, closed material, damages, human rights, Iran, Ireland, negligence, news by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has cleared the way for the Government to apply for controversial secret court hearings as it faces being sued for damages by an IRA informant and Iranians subjected to asset freezing orders.’

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The Independent, 14th July 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Secret prosecution of terrorism suspect raises ‘difficult constitutional issues’ – The Guardian

‘The decisions that led to a terrorism suspect being prosecuted in conditions of almost unprecedented secrecy raise “really difficult constitutional issues” about the independence of prosecutors from government, the head of the judiciary in England and Wales warned on Wednesday.’

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The Guardian, 1st July 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government should address core Libya rendition allegations, judge rules – The Guardian

‘The government should address the core allegations of 12 claimants who say they were kidnapped, tortured, subject to control orders or tricked into travelling to Libya where they were detained or mistreated, a high court judge has said.’

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The Guardian, 1st July 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Secret trial: Six unanswered questions – BBC News

‘An important principle in the British legal system is that “not only must justice be done, it must also be seen to be done”.’

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BBC News, 26th March 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Secret trial clears man of plotting to kill Tony Blair – The Independent

‘A British law student has been cleared of targeting Tony Blair and his wife Cherie as part of a terrorist plot, following the UK’s first secret terror case.’

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The Independent, 26th March 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

British law student convicted of possessing bomb-making manual – The Guardian

Posted November 17th, 2014 in closed material, explosives, news, reporting restrictions, retrials, terrorism by sally

‘A man accused of plotting terrorist attacks in London has been convicted of possession of a bomb-making manual.’

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The Guardian, 17th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord chief justice attacks secret trials – BBC News

‘The lord chief justice of England and Wales has condemned an attempt to hold a completely secret trial, saying it should never happen again.’

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BBC News, 12th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Angela Patrick: Suing the state: judicial competence, restraint and redress in Belhadj – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The coverage of last week’s Court of Appeal’s decision in Belhadj & Or. v Straw & Ors [2014] EWCA Civ 1394 has thus far generated more political heat than legal light. When a claim involves the suit of named officials and former Ministers for their alleged role in the rendition of a major political figure in the new Libya and his family to face torture under the Gaddafi regime, this is perhaps understandable. In a week where the Government – in the context of this claim – has conceded that it must disclose certain of its policies on surveillance and legal professional privilege, it is unsurprising that the press has had little time to digest the detail of this judgment.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 7th November 2014

Source: http://ukconstitutionallaw.org/blog/

Regina (B and others) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court and others – WLR Daily

Posted November 7th, 2014 in closed material, disclosure, evidence, extradition, law reports, magistrates by tracey

Regina (B and others) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court and others: [2014] UKSC 59; [2014] WLR (D) 470

‘A judge hearing extradition proceedings in the magistrates’ court had no power under the Extradition Act 2003 to hear evidence in a closed court and to make an order prohibiting the disclosure to the government of the requesting state of evidence adduced by individuals whose extradition was being sought. Extradition proceedings were not in a special category which would justify a departure from the principle of open justice.’

WLR Daily, 5th November 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Letting in a chink of light to closed material cases : Bank Mellat again – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 6th, 2014 in banking, closed material, disclosure, human rights, news, setting aside by sally

‘Fireworks here from Collins J in making sure that Bank Mellat got some disclosure of information in its fight to discharge a financial restriction order against it.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 5th November 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

VB (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); EN (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); CM (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); CU (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent) – Supreme Court

VB (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); EN (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); CM (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); CU (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent) [2014] UKSC 59 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 5th November 2014

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Secret trial: Erol Incedal claims he was plotting robbery not terror attack – Daily Telegraph

‘The law student denies terrorism offences, saying he had contemplated committing an armed robbery or buying heroin or a gun instead’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 31st October 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Government not required to disclose full details of defence – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The High Court has ruled that in a case against the state which did not directly affect the liberty of the subject, there was no irreducible minimum of disclosure of the state’s case which the court would require. The consequences of such disclosure for national security prevailed.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 27th October 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com