Robert Marshall-Andrews

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Medway MP Opposes Detention Without Trial

Medway’s MP Bob Marshall-Andrews yesterday, Wednesday 23 February, spoke out in The House of Commons’ debate on the Government’s Prevention of Terrorism Bill.  Bob Marshall-Andrews QC, joined with Conservative, Liberal Democratic and Labour rebel MPs in opposing plans to introduce detention without trial of British subjects.

During his speech Mr Marshall-Andrews said, “It is almost certainly one of the worst pieces of legislation that any Government have attempted to put through this House for 200 years. It offends against the cardinal and root principle of our democracy—the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.

He later added, “I struggled to find a harmless analogy for what the Government are doing. The best I could come up with is that of a boy who is viciously bullying some people at school, all of them girls. He is hauled up before nine school governors who tell him that he must stop it. He says, "Fine, I'll stop it. I'll cut out the vicious bit and bully everyone." That is precisely the way in which the Government have reacted to the House of Lords judgment. The analogy is harmless and I hope that the point is not lost, even on the Home Secretary.”

Click here for the speech