New Bill sets dangerous legal precendent for justice system

It is a return to the days of the star chamber, which held secret sessions and allowed no indictments, no witnesses, no juries, no right of appeal and evidence offered could only be done so in writing.

From the reign of Henry VIII, the star chamber became a weapon of royalty against the nobility and the rising bourgeoisie, often dealing with riots and sedition.

Now these courts will be used by the modern bourgeoisie, the capitalist class, against the rising militancy of the working class.

Justice cannot be seen to be done behind closed doors and coalition ministers have failed to show that better national security and better justice would be the outcome.

Court proceedings will be like super-injunctions, unseen by, and unknown to, everyone.

Once enacted, the Bill will allow government ministers to close courts by claiming some unknown threat to national security.

There can be no chance to seek redress when proceedings are hidden.

Lib Dem lawyers have resigned and more than 700 lawyers signed Liberty's petition against the Bill because it will "erode the core principles of our civil justice system," allowing dirty state secrets to be hidden from victims, journalists and the public.

These are dangerous precedents.

Only Caroline Lucas of the Green Party and 14 other MPs wanted to scrap the bill.

Lib Dems have sold their souls for seats in the Cabinet with the far-right Tories and Labour refuses to commit to anything remotely like opposition for their own unprincipled and opportunistic reasons.

Mike Magee

Frome