Secret Court Powers Case ‘unproven’
Wednesday, November 14, 2012 7:12
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Daily Express -
Ministers have failed to prove the case for new powers that would allow more secret court hearings, an influential committee has said.
Government proposals extending the use of behind-closed-doors evidence are a “radical departure” from the British tradition of fair and open justice, the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) warned.
Its critical report into the Justice and Security Bill, which would allow judges to listen to more civil cases in secret without claimants being able to hear the evidence against them, also raised concerns about the potential for the reforms to be used to avoid “embarrassing situations”.
Committee chairman Hywel Francis said: “We were disappointed that the Government failed to prove to us a pressing need to extend the use of secret evidence into civil proceedings generally.
“The Bill represents a very significant shift away from historic common law principles and Parliament should only accept such a departure when the necessity for it has been properly and persuasively justified.”
Its critical report into the Justice and Security Bill, which would allow judges to listen to more civil cases in secret without claimants being able to hear the evidence against them, also raised concerns about the potential for the reforms to be used to avoid “embarrassing situations”.
Committee chairman Hywel Francis said: “We were disappointed that the Government failed to prove to us a pressing need to extend the use of secret evidence into civil proceedings generally.
“The Bill represents a very significant shift away from historic common law principles and Parliament should only accept such a departure when the necessity for it has been properly and persuasively justified.”
Read More: express.co.uk
2012-11-14 07:02:58
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