In an appeal brought by 10 foreign nationals interned without charge or trial, the House of Lords has agreed to hear the submissions of 14 human rights organisations who believe that under no circumstances should torture evidence ever be admissible.

Commenting on the decision to hear the submissions Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, said:

“Liberty is confident that the House of Lords will endorse the overwhelming consensus of decent British people who do not wish to see our government complicit in acts of torture anywhere.

Secret intelligence gained by torture is unreliable, counter-productive and brings shame on what should be one of the worlds leading democracies.”

Notes to editors:

On 11 August 2004 the Court of Appeal ruled that 'evidence' obtained by torture is admissible in the UK. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeals of 10 foreign nationals interned without charge or trial under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (ATCSA).

The Law Lords will hear the arguments between 17 and 20 October 2005.

The 14 organisations involved in this intervention are:

Liberty, the AIRE centre (Advice on Individual Rights in Europe), Amnesty International, the Association for the Prevention of Torture, British Irish Rights Watch, the Committee on the Administration of Justice, Doctors for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation of Human Rights, INTERIGHTS, the Law Society, the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, REDRESS and the World Organisation Against Torture.

Liberty Press Office: 020 7378 3656 or 07973 831 128