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In 1290, following the death of Margaret the Maid of Norway, the Scottish throne fell vacant. With no generally acceptable candidate the Scots nobility turned to Edward I of England as an arbiter. Edward arbitrated alright, but at a cost. Scotland got its king, John Balliol, only to lose its freedom. As part of the deal Edward insisted that all appeals against the judgements of Scottish royal courts be reserved to his person, undermining the very thing that defines a sovereign state – the right to determine its own legal affairs.
England now finds itself in the same position; the country has lost the right over its legal affairs; the country has effectively lost its sovereignty and its independence. Last month the European Court of Human Rights decreed that the government cannot deport Abu Quatada, a notorious terrorist and hate preacher, a man once described as Osama Bin Laden’s ambassador in Europe, to his native Jordan, where he is wanted for conspiring to carry out bombings. The suspicion is, you see, that he will not get a ‘fair trial.’
So we have the trial instead, the threat of this appalling individual living free in our midst. At present he is being held in Long Lartin, a high security jail, but, if the judgement is allowed to stand, he could be released in three months, to join his wife and five children, all supported at the expense of the tax payer, and that expense so far has amounted to more than a million dollars.
These foreign judges, people with an outlook wholly alien to our traditions, accept assurances that Qatada will not be ill-treated in Jordan. But that’s not enough, oh, no; for some of the evidence to be used against him may, I say, may, have come from torture. This after the Law Lords in our own High Court of Parliament ruled that there was no proof that any of the evidence against Qatada had been obtained by torture.
So, on a supposition, we are left with the reality, a perpetual threat, one who will have to be monitored continuously at yet more astronomic expense. Can things, I ask myself, get any crazier? Yes, with these foreigners undermining our government, our parliament and the highest court in the land they can and they will.
In 1296, the Scots, having had enough of Edward’s legalistic tyranny, threw off the shackles and began a prolonged struggle for national independence, this with a fraction of the provocation we have suffered at the hands of Europe. It’s time England had its own war of independence, to begin with a referendum on membership of the European Union, an organisation and a tyranny of which I, for one, am heartily sick.
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Anastasia, I agree with you. I am aghast to see that in the name of human right, many dreaded criminals/terrorist are kept away from the galore. I don’t know that how the champions of human rights, values freedom...They have been resisting, objecting, questioning the extradition on the basis, which is highly objectionable. How can be a man let off with a plea, which is totally erroneous, obnoxious and against the law of natural justice? Such people with their hate speech enticing the people to join the ranks of terrorist...such people brazenly going all out because they have been given freedom...they misuse freedom...I agree with you, that certainly the decree by European Court of Human Rights is an impingement to the sovereignty of your country but your country being the signatory to the European Union have to abide by this (?) and that is unfortunate (please make me wise on this...I am not sure about this). Such issues, which are detrimental to the interest of the nation, should not be bartered for the cause which acts in contrary to nation’s security and sovereignty. Human right needs to be respected but in the name of human right, justice cannot be denied or delayed. Heinous crimes like an act of terrorism needs to dealt sternly and speedily. Alas! India is suffering a lot in this account...Perpetrators of crime instead of languishing in jail are roaming scot free and giving fiery speeches...
Anastasia I agree with you. I am aghast to see that in the name of human right, many dreaded criminals/terrorist are kept away from the galore. I don’t know that how the champions of human rights, values freedom...They have been resisting, objecting, questioning the extradition on the basis, which is highly objectionable. How can be a man let off with a plea, which is totally erroneous, obnoxious and against the law of natural justice? Such people with their hate speech enticing the people to join the ranks of terrorist...such people brazenly going all out because they have been given freedom...they misuse freedom...I agree with you, that certainly the decree by European Court of Human Rights is an impingement to the sovereignty of your country but your country being the signatory to the European Union have to abide by this (?) and that is unfortunate (please make me wise on this...I am not sure about this). Such issues, which are detrimental to the interest of the nation, should not be bartered for the cause which acts in contrary to nation’s security and sovereignty. Human right needs to be respected but in the name of human right, justice cannot be denied or delayed. Heinous crimes like an act of terrorism needs to dealt sternly and speedily. Alas! India is suffering a lot in this account...Perpetrators of crime instead of languishing in jail are roaming scot free and giving fiery speeches...
This is an issue which needs to be debated to build a consensus and concerted efforts are required globally. In the absence of international laws, pacts and treaties such elements would continue to unleash the terror without any remorse. Terrorism is a global threat and this needs to be contained.