A regular reader has let me know she’s “shocked” by my reactionary turn this last week. I suspect she may be easily shocked but I’ll risk sending her over the edge by linking to last week’s Telegraph leaders which seem at first sight to agree with the stances I’ve taken.
In fact it’s worth noting how their views differ from mine, though. They seem to think the BAe decision was justified, and justified in economic terms. I don’t, but I do say prosecutors should always weight the public interest when deciding whether to proceed, and that ministers should be able to intervene to stop a prosecution on grounds of national security. They want a legal immunity to cover troops in battle; I just think there are dangers in applying the right to life in combat situations and that if this new principle stands, it will need great care.
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