'Anti-terror law threatens democracy'

The Reading Chronicle ^ | 11/28/03 | unknown

[FreeFireBorderZone]

'Anti-terror law threatens democracy' Nov 28 2003

The government's draft plans to bolster Britain's response to major terrorist attacks and natural disasters have "potentially dangerous flaws", a Parliamentary committee has warned.

The all-party committee of MPs and Peers, set up to examine the draft Civil Contingencies Bill, warned that the powers could be used to undermine human rights and the British constitution.

Committee chairman Dr Lewis Moonie MP, a former Labour defence minister, said: "In defining emergency powers, the Government has come up with a one-size-fits-all Bill for every possible scenario. We are concerned that as a result the draft Bill does not provide adequate safeguards to protect against the misuse of emergency powers."

He went on: "In the wrong hands, it could be used to undermine or even remove legislation underpinning the British constitution and infringe human rights."

He added: "Our democracy and civil liberties could be in danger if the Government does not take account of our recommended improvements."

The committee said there was a "significant risk" that regulations made in an emergency under the draft Bill could infringe human rights laws.

"We recommend the Bill explicitly prohibit regulations which would contravene any inalienable rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights or the Geneva Conventions," the members said.

Part of the proposed Bill allows ministers to ditch any Act of Parliament in an emergency, they noted.

They recommended that a number of Acts which "form the bedrock of our Constitution" should be exempt from this measure.

Ministers' attempts to define an emergency as "an event which presents a serious threat to human welfare, the environment, political, administrative, or economic stability, and the security of the UK or part of it" was "too subjective and loose", members added.

[FreeFireBorderZone]

Check out the definition of 'emergency'in last paragraph. Act provides for instant dictatorship giving the government power to void any pre existing statute.

[alloysteel]

Any democracy that is threatened by steps taken to assure its continued existence is not much of a democracy anyway. Such a political edifice was doomed to self-destruction already.

[mrsmith]

That's one problem with a parliament- there are no checks and balances to use.

Why not leave it up to the King?
The parliament would still have to concur.

[Paul C. Jesup]

Check out the definition of 'emergency'in last paragraph. Act provides for instant dictatorship giving the government power to void any pre existing statute.

Don't that include the ability to get rid of government agencies like the IRS and EPA?

[Paul C. Jesup]

Check out the definition of 'emergency'in last paragraph. Act provides for instant dictatorship giving the government power to void any pre existing statute.

DOES that include the ability to get rid of government agencies like the IRS and EPA?