So it seems that we are far from alone in our concerns over the prospect of directly-elected Police and Crime Commissioners in Britain.The Government wants existing police authorities scrapped, with local forces overseen by elected politicians instead. The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, outlining such plans, reached its report stage in the House of Commons today.Now a YouGov poll, c...
read moreAt the joint invitation of the TUC and Metropolitan Police, Liberty (the National Council for Civil Liberties) posted around 130 independent legal observers to monitor the policing of the March for the Alternative.We were heartened by cooperation between TUC and police planners and would like to thank both for unprecedented access and facilitation of our effort. Whilst we plan to publish a full an...
read moreIf Westminster Council has its way, a newly proposed bye-law will soon make it a crime to give out a free cup of soup in Victoria. It will also be an offence to put your sleeping bag on the street and lie down for the night. If you do either, you might have to pay a £500 fine.A fine for a free sandwich sounds like punishing the poor and vulnerable to me, and we all know homeless pockets do not ru...
read moreIt is now just over a week until the TUC march against public spending cuts, when tens of thousands of people are expected to take to London’s streets in protest. Both the TUC and the Metropolitan Police have asked Liberty to provide independent legal observers for the ‘March for the Alternative’ to help ensure that it runs smoothly and safely. This contribution, 77 years on from Liberty’...
read moreThis week the jury returned its verdict following a six-week inquest into the death of Naomi Bryant. The jury found that a shocking catalogue of failings, by every agency involved, had directly contributed to Naomi’s death. It was a remarkable conclusion to a long-running, distressing ordeal. Far from typifying what is wrong with the Human Rights Act, the case proves how vital the Act is for vi...
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