Unbelievably, More 4 news tonight, leading on the Williams/sharia story, has a “debate” between a pro-Williams Muslim lawyer, who backs Williams; and the extreme Islamist Anjem Choudhury, who opposed Williams on the basis that his proposal would not […]

I’ve never had much time for Rowan Williams: touted and hyped as a man of liberal progressive principle, and the highest posisble intelligence, he has in fact shown himself as prepared to bow to hatred of homosexuality rather than […]

The Commons continues today to debate the Bill – and today I expect the debate to be a true Europhobiafest, since the theme is human rights, a subject which, even when not linked to the EU, causes much […]

I’ve blogged before about Garry Newlove’s murder not being attributable to a bail decision, and I’ve spoken to Charon to explain why I think the recent media panic about bail, because of that case and the case of […]

The Counter-Terrorism Bill has now been published, with explanatory notes. Clause 22 and Schedule 1 are what everyone’s been waiting for: the proposed extension of pre-charge detention beyond 28 days.

The idea under the amendments brought in […]

The other important hearing that re-started this week is the trial of Charles Taylor, former President of Liberia, in front of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, for a number of crimes against humanity committed during the civil war in […]

Yesterday the US Supreme Court heard argument in this case, in which it is argued that lethal injection using a combination of sodium thiopental, pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride is “cruel and unusual punishment”, contrary to the 8th Amendment to […]

I couldn’t agree more with this New York Times editorial piece – I’m glad the Times is arguing strongly for a democratic approach in Pakistan, rather than just Realpolitik; and that it’s calling for the […]

There’s an article in today’s New York Times about some of the lawyers involved in protests against Musharraf’s emergency – it concludes that the protest is “on hold”: but it’s clearly not finished.

I’m glad that the Kenyan Attorney, Amos Wako, has intervened with a suggestion of idependent scrutiny of the ballot. That could offer a way forward that saves lives and helps get Kenya back on track.