Sir

Your report ("Blair aims to tilt justice in favour of the victims" June 18th) suggests that the proposed White Paper is "aimed at tilting the balance of the justice system back in favour of victims and away from offenders."

The choice of words itself underlines the problem. The criminal justice system deals with suspects and witnesses: only after conviction are they victims and offenders.

We should recognise the failure of the criminal justice system to ensure that victims and witnesses are properly respected and protected. However, setting off the rights of victims and witnesses against the rights of suspects and offenders is a political construct designed to make the government seem tough. Real solutions to the criminal justice system are not about soundbites and, dare I say it, not always within the gift of politicians.

Attacking juries, threatening to abolish the protection against double jeopardy and allowing the details of previous convictions to be allowed into trials as "evidence" are also about talking tough. This would remove essential protections for the innocent suspect - but no-one seriously believes that if they were all abolished crime would fall.

True, a few more people (guilty and innocent) might be convicted; but the reason they are being attacked is symbolic. The Prime Minister will be seen as being tough, taking on lawyers and the human rights lobby (the "forces of conservatism"). If he fails - which he will if he continues only to tilt at these symbolic windmills - he can blame us. Confusingly for us, the more we complain the more he likes it...

Yours
John Wadham
Director
Liberty
21 Tabard Street
London SE1 4LA
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