The Times on Abu Qatada
8 July 2013
I have an opinion piece in today’s Times on Abu Qatada. It is behind a paywall so I can’t reproduce it here, but you can probably guess from the title what my theme is: Abu Qatada’s case shows the human rights system works. Enjoy (if you have access).
Here is a taster:
Theresa May, the Home Secretary has warned that “nothing should be off the table in terms of … how we deal with the European Court”. But she also told the 2011 Tory conference about an “illegal immigrant who cannot be deported because — and I am not making this up — he had pet a cat”.
That story, like many others about human rights law, was made up. It is unsurprising that ministers are often scathing about human rights law — it makes their lives more difficult — but the alternative is all-powerful ministers making decisions with impunity.
As usual, I couldn’t resist a Catgate reference.
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Appeal after appeal after appeal after appeal. The law needs major reform to enable us to remove those who have been instructed to leave. If the only way to stop people abusing the process by appealing against everything time and again is to withdraw and put our own law back in place then so be it.
Today we have the European court meddling again in the sentencing of prisoners in the UK . Once again there will be a public outcry and a stronger desire to get out of ECHR and it provides politicians with the ammunition they need.
The sooner we can bring the human rights legal gravy train to a halt the better.
I would be interested to know exactly *which* ECHR judgments Theresa May thinks “crazy”, what in them and why. Because as far as I am concerned neither she nor anyone else taking her stance has to date explained.
It was not a victory for the UK government(s) or Mrs May.
It is a victory for human rights.
Couldn’t resist a catgate reference? Neither could the Telegraph… although they seemed to think it was a legitimate example *bangs head on table*
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/10163556/Abu-Qatadas-exit-is-a-triumph-for-Mrs-May.html
Grayling says that the Tories’ next election manifesto shall include plans to withdraw wholesale from human rights laws. That makes me
feel very uneasy.
Just look at the man’s record to date, where thousands are denied justice because they cannot pay for it.
I shudder to think what this country will look like, if he and the rest of his right-wing cronies get another five years in office.