We must consider an office of the whistleblower, we need something very drastic as the current legislation is no protection at all Continue reading “Whistleblowing Framework”
Category: Civil liberties
Government, the police and intelligence services are too easily given sweeping powers that they too often abuse
Jenny works with campaigners to defend our civil liberties
Read on for her latest posts on this topic
The mass poisoning of school children in Iran
My Question for Written Answer: To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to work with international partners to establish a UN investigation into the mass poisoning of school children in Iran. Continue reading “The mass poisoning of school children in Iran”
Public Order Bill Ping Pong
The Public Order Bill has returned again to the Commons with Lords amendments after 2 rounds of Ping Pong. The Lords are digging in on suspicion-less stop and search having won on the protection of journalists. Details of the government defeats can be viewed here Continue reading “Public Order Bill Ping Pong”
Brian Haw memorial
“Brian Haw (1949-2011) was one of the most visible, influential, determined and adhesive peace campaigners of our times. In June 2001, he began a peace protest at Parliament Square in Westminster, where he remained for nearly ten years.” Actor and campaigner Mark Rylance writes about him for the Big Issue.
A Crowdfunder has been set up to fund the installation of a small statue of Brian, facing the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth, creating a permanent symbol of protest for peace – you can support the Crowdfunder here
Reparatory Justice for Afrikan Enslavement
Statement from Jenny in recognition of the approach of the end of the ‘United Nations International Decade for people of African descent 2015 to 2024’ which the British Government continues to refuse to recognise. Continue reading “Reparatory Justice for Afrikan Enslavement”
Lords success on right to protest
The Lords has defeated the government a total of six times during the Public Order Report Stage.
Retained EU Law Bill arrives in Lords
Some 2,000 years ago, the Roman philosopher Cicero said, “The closer the collapse of an empire, the crazier its laws”. That is what we have here. There are families who are starving, people who are freezing in their homes and workers rightfully striking on the streets, but we are debating this dross. Just as the Public Order Bill is an attack on democracy in the streets, this Bill is an attack on democracy here within Parliament. Rather than taking back control, the Government are seeking to take away Parliament’s sovereign power of voting for or against laws and to hand that power over to a chaotic Executive of right-wing Ministers and their civil servants. We have reached the slash-and-burn stage of Brexit. The only sensible thing now is to cut our losses and rejoin the EU.
Lords can stop pre-crime becoming law
The Lords have the ability to stop the government’s “pre-crime” laws in a vote on Monday. The government has proposed late amendments to the Public Order Bill that give the police power to ban protests, or a series of protests, ahead of them being held. It doesn’t matter if the organisers have never been convicted of a crime and what’s planned is non violent, the intention is enough for the police to judge it as illegal, if they feel it will ‘seriously disrupt’ somone’s life.
Police Conduct and David Carrick
It is impossible that there was not a lot of gossip about Carrick before now—and, before him, about Couzens and many others way into the past. Senior officers must have known and must, at some point, have turned a blind eye. Continue reading “Police Conduct and David Carrick”
Police review on slow track as draconian powers accelerate
The government has pushed through more and more draconian powers for the police to use against peaceful protestors. Yet trust in police integrity, standards and culture has never been lower. There are now six police services (including the Metropolitan Police) who are in special measures. Plus the government has launched their own review after numerous scandals have exposed issues with police recruitment and attitudes:
Continue reading “Police review on slow track as draconian powers accelerate”
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb 