- At the autumn 2012 Lib Dem conference members passed Jo Shaw’s motion against Secret Courts.
- During Report Stage in the Commons the Liberal Democrats against Secret Courts campaign submitted a letter to the Daily Mail signed by 130 Lib Dem members, peers, MEPs, Councillors, local party chairs and officers and campaigners urging MPs to do the right thing when the Justice and Security Bill is debated.
- On March 15th 2013 a motion against Secret Courts was overwhelmingly passed at the Scottish Lib Dem spring conference.
In March 2013 we have seen several respected Lib Dem members resign from the party in protest against Secret Courts.
Jo Shaw – Resigned 10th
March 2013
Jo
Shaw, member of the Lib Dem federal executive and rising star, resigned her
membership at the end of her Lib Dem Spring conference speech. In a stirring,
valiant and eloquent speech, Jo outlined the damaging situation the party is
in. "It’s not me Nick, it’s you… and I fervently hope that eventually
someone leads this party who will act according to liberal principle and scrap
this Bill. Because I am a liberal, and a democrat, and I am against this sort
of thing."
Dinah Rose QC –
Resigned 10th March 2013
Leading human rights barrister, Dinah Rose QC, has many years of extensive practical experience of the operation of closed material procedures, in SIAC, in control order cases, and in other proceedings. She has seen them from every perspective - of the Government, as a Special Advocate, and as Counsel for the individual appellant. Her conclusion is that Closed Material Procedures cannot be fairly operated. In the last line of her resignation letter she wrote, “I just cannot see what purpose is served by the party, if it is prepared to support the Bill.”
Philippe Sands
QC – Resigned 12th March 2013
Barrister at the Matrix Chambers and a professor of international law at University College London, Philippe Sands QC famously exposed Bush-Blair abuses and joined the Liberal Democrats to fight for his values. In his resignation announcement in the Guardian Philippe condemned Closed Material Procedures, saying, “It is wrong in principle, and will not deliver justice. It will be used to shield governmental wrongdoing from public and judicial scrutiny under conditions that are fair and just. The bill threatens greater corrosion of the rights of the individual in the UK, in the name of "national security””.
Cory Doctorow –
Resigned 12th March 2013
Popular blogger, journalist and science fiction author Cory Doctorow raised funds, campaigned and voted for the Lib Dems at the last election. Writing on his blog he said, “I cannot, in good conscience, remain a member or supporter of the Lib Dems… Deeds speak louder than words. The Lib Dems are the party of talking about liberty and voting in tyranny”.