--------------------------------------------------
From: "The Corner House - news and information"
<[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 9:58 PM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Draft legislation would make BAE-Saudi corruption judicial review
impossible
> -- PLEASE circulate to your networks --
>
> -- APOLOGIES for cross-postings --
>
>
> UK Government proposes legislation to make BAE-Saudi corruption judicial
> review impossible in future
>
>
> The Corner House and Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) are still awaiting
> judgment on their landmark judicial review, held on 14-15 February this
> year in the High Court, of the decision by the Serious Fraud Office to
> halt its BAE-Saudi Arabia corruption investigation.
>
> But already the UK Government has introduced draft primary legislation to
> Parliament that would in effect prevent such a judicial review in future.
>
> The Government's draft Constitutional Renewal Bill, announced on 25 March
> 2008, would significantly increase and concentrate the powers that the
> Executive (the Government) can exercise over the Judiciary (the Courts)
> and Parliament.
>
> The draft Bill proposes to create a new power for the Attorney General --
> the Government's chief legal adviser appointed by the Prime Minister and a
> member of the Government -- to stop a criminal investigation or
> prosecution on the grounds of 'national security' without any meaningful
> explanation or accountability to Parliament, the Courts or international
> bodies.
>
> Sensitive criminal prosecutions could therefore be halted -- or appear to
> be halted -- for political reasons. 'National security' could simply be
> invoked by a politician, the Attorney General, to stop any investigation
> or prosecution perceived as undesirable.
>
> The Corner House and CAAT have issued a joint press release:
>
> http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/pdf/document/PRConsRenBill.pdf
>
> and circulated an analysis by our lawyers:
>
> http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/pdf/document/ConstRenBillOECD.pdf.
>
> We are now calling upon the public and parliamentarians to voice their
> concerns about this draft Constitutional Renewal Bill.
>
> A Joint Committee comprising members of the House of Lords and the House
> of Commons will 'consider and report' on the draft Constitutional Renewal
> Bill by 17th July 2008.
>
> The 11 members of the House of Commons proposed for this Committee are:
>
> Alistair Carmichael
> Geoffrey Cox
> Michael Jabez Foster
> Mark Lazarowicz,
> Martin Linton
> Ian Lucas
> Fiona Mactaggart
> Virendra Sharma
> Emily Thornberry
> Andrew Tyrie
> Sir George Young
>
>
> For those in the UK, please write to your Member of Parliament. You can
> follow the links from:
>
> 'Who is your MP?': http://www.WriteToThem.com
>
> or
>
> http://www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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