Category: intelligence services
Last British resident in Guantánamo ‘may never be allowed home’ – The Guardian
“The last British resident being held in Guantánamo Bay may never be allowed to return to his family in London because of an alleged ‘secret deal’ between US authorities, Saudi Arabia and the British security services.”
The Guardian, 20th April 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Europol, the EU’s crime intelligence agency demands access to British police files – The Guardian
“New powers will give the European Union’s criminal intelligence agency Europol
access to all information held by the police, including evidence files on
children, victims, witnesses and other people never even suspected of a crime.”
Daily Telegraph, 18th April 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Bank Mellat (Appellant) v HM Treasury (Respondent) – Supreme Court
“Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, made the following statement in open court this afternoon:
‘Yesterday morning, having heard full argument on the issue the previous day, we decided, for reasons to be given later – and, it should be added, by a majority of six to three – that we had power to consider the closed judgment of Mr Justice Mitting (‘the closed judgment’) in this case. This would involve part of this hearing being conducted in private without Bank Mellat or its representatives being present. We also indicated that, on the basis of the arguments we had so far heard, we were not persuaded that it was necessary to take such a course.'”
Supreme Court, 21st March 2013
Source: www.supremecourt.gov.uk
Historical first as Supreme Court boots Iranian bank out of secret hearing – UK Human Rights Blog
“Extraordinary developments in the Supreme Court today as the court, for the first time in its history, conducted a secret hearing during which one of the parties, an Iranian Bank, was not allowed to take part. Full background to the case, Bank Mellat (Appellant) v HM Treasury (Respondent) is here.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 21st March 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Supreme Court sits in secret for first time in history – The Independent
“The highest court in the land controversially sat in secret for the first time in its history today but insisted it had reached the decision with ‘great reluctance’.”
The Independent, 21st March 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Secret courts plan faces Commons vote – The Guardian
“MPs will vote on Monday on the final form of the government’s justice and security bill, which radically expands the use of so-called secret courts.”
The Guardian, 3rd March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Campaigners unite against secret courts – The Guardian
“An alliance of more than 100 human rights groups, legal experts and free press campaigners has called on MPs to vote against government plans for ‘secret courts’ – branding them “a charter for cover-ups” that will seriously undermine the principles of British justice.”
The Guardian, 3rd March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Secret courts: Former top judge Lord Woolf backs government changes – BBC News
“The former head of the judiciary, Lord Woolf, has thrown his support behind plans to allow more civil courts to examine secret intelligence in private.”
BBC News, 4th March 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Libyan politician offers to settle UK lawsuit for £3 and an apology – The Guardian
“A Libyan politician who is suing the former foreign secretary Jack Straw and the British government for damages after being kidnapped and taken to one of Gaddafi’s jails has offered to settle the case for just £3, providing he also receives an unreserved apology.”
The Guardian, 4th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
UK files on murdered spy Litvinenko must stay secret, rules coroner – The Guardian
“Media groups have expressed disappointment after a coroner ruled that secret government files on the murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko would be examined in private.”
The Guardian, 27th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Litvinenko inquest: newspapers launch challenge over withholding of evidence – The Guardian
“Media groups will on Tuesday challenge what they describe as a ‘deeply troubling’ attempt by the government to withhold evidence from the inquest into the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.”
The Guardian, 25th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Guilty: the ringleaders who plotted a terror spectacular to rival 9/11 – The Independent
“The ringleaders of a Birmingham-based extremist cell whose deadly ambitions were matched only by their incompetence are facing life terms after the unravelling of their plot for a terrorist spectacular to rival the September 11 attacks.”
The Independent, 21st February 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Snooper’s charter rests on ‘pretty heroic assumptions’, MI5 boss told MPs – The Guardian
“The government’s plans to track everybody’s web and mobile phone use rest on some ‘pretty heroic assumptions’, the head of MI5 has told MPs and peers.”
The Guardian, 5th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Judges given final say on secret justice – Daily Telegraph
“Judges will decide whether civil cases involving national security can be heard in secret in a climbdown by the Government.”
Daily Telegraph, 29th January 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
High Court refuses to condemn US drone strikes – UK Human Rights Blog
“In this unsuccessful application for permission to apply for judicial review, the Claimant sought to challenge the Defendant’s reported policy of permitting GCHQ employees to pass intelligence to the US for the purposes of drone strikes in Pakistan. The Claimant’s father was killed during such an attack in March 2011.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 9th January 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
High Court blocks US drone intelligence case – BBC News
“The High Court has rejected an attempt by a Pakistani man to force the UK government to reveal if it is providing intelligence for US drone strikes.”
BBC News, 21st December 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Ken Clarke fails to rule out need for secret courts in MoD cases – The Guardian
“Secret court hearings could be used when the families of soldiers who die as a result of Ministry of Defence failures pursue compensation claims, the minister responsible for the justice and security bill has admitted.”
The Guardian, 18th December 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Snooper’s charter’ faces rough ride through parliament – The Guardian
“Civil liberties are said to have been the political glue that brought the two coalition parties together before the general election, and nothing joined them more strongly than their joint opposition to Labour’s ‘Big Brother’ database.”
The Guardian, 11th December 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
