In an attack on the plethora of new laws passed since 9/11, based upon the scare tactics of the government, the Director of Public Prosecutions last night said in a speech to the Bar Council, that “Everyone here will come to their own conclusion about whether . . . the very life of the nation is presently endangered. And everyone here will equally understand the risk to our constitution if we decide that it is, when it is not.” 

Speaking in London, he said that “a culture of legislative restraint is central to the existence of an efficient and human rights-compatible process”. And he appeared to challenge the Government’s decision to invoke threats to “the life of the nation” in order to opt out of parts of the European Convention on Human Rights which bar detention without trial.

He went on to say “We wouldn’t get far in promoting a civilising culture of respect for rights amongst and between citizens if we set about undermining fair trial in the simple pursuit of greater numbers of inevitably less safe convictions,” he said.

“Otherwise we sacrifice fundamental values critical to the maintenance of the rule of law — upon which everything else depends.” 

In words that fully back up this journals campaign so far he said “The criminal justice response to terrorism must be “proportionate and grounded in due process and the rule of law”, he said. “We must protect ourselves from these atrocious crimes without abandoning our traditions of freedom.”

He gave warning against allowing the threat of terrorism to trigger a “fear-driven and inappropriate” security response which damaged Britain’s traditions of freedom. 

Sir Ken’s comments to the Criminal Bar Association put him at odds with Tony Blair and the Home Secretary, John Reid, who have justified tighter security laws on the grounds of the threat posed to Britain by a new kind of terror.

Sir Ken said “We need to be very clear about this. On the streets of London, there is no such thing as a war on terror. The fight against terrorism on the streets of Britain is not a war. It is the prevention of crime, the enforcement of our laws and the winning of justice for those damaged by their infringement.” 

The full article in The Times here.

This Journal has been saying for a long time that there is no war on terror, that the new laws passed by this government since 9/11 have stripped away our rights and freedoms, based on lies and scare tactics. 

Now, the Director of Public Prosecutions agrees with us, and has said so.