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 big problem with this Bill is that the legal tests are too wishy-washy. They give the authorising bodies free rein. If we do not contract those processes in some way, there will be mistakes – there are bound to be. It will become very difficult to challenge even the most obviously wrong authorisations.
Continue reading “Police Spies – Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) – Bill”
The first day of the Report stage of the High Speed Rail (West Midlands–Crewe) Bill saw four votes on amendments, three of which Jenny voted for in an attempt to improve the project if it cannot be stopped:
Continue reading “HS2: Destruction and broken promises”
The CHIS (spycops) Bill is in the Lords at the moment. The Minister couldn’t tell me if criminals who are authorised as police spies will be able to keep the proceeds of any criminal activity during the period when they are immune from prosecution. At the moment criminal proceeds are often confiscated by the state. Will they be taxed instead? I have written asking again…
Continue reading “Will state authorised spies keep the money they make from crimes?”
It is obvious that the Bill hugely expands the state’s ability to authorise criminal conduct and grant legal immunity to criminals. Surely the Government understand this and can see that it is wrong to try to legislate like this.
Continue reading “Covert Human Intelligence Sources: Immunity from crime for criminals and no recourse to justice for victims”
The third day of the internal Markets Bill saw a series of amendments relating to issues around devolved powers and the environment
Continue reading “The Government’s Internal Market Bill – on the road to Hypercapitalism”
Last Friday the Government released something late – which is their way of hiding things that they think will be unpopular – namely, that they will be sharing data with the police… Continue reading “HMG sharing Test and Trace data with the police”
Green peer Jenny Jones welcomes Lords’ “regret” amendment to Internal Market Bill
The House of Lords has today [Tuesday 20 October] passed an amendment to the Internal Market Bill regretting the provisions which, if enacted “would undermine the rule of law and damage the reputation of the United Kingdom.” Continue reading “Massive Lords majority to defend rule of law”
It is worth saying again that nothing is in a box, and so it is not appropriate to talk about trade and trade policy as only an economic manoeuvre
Continue reading “Trade is about more than the ‘economy’”
In the words of Adam Wagner, a professor of law
“One of the things this crisis has brought home to me is how illiberal outcomes are inevitable when hugely important decisions are made by a small group in secret and without parliamentary scrutiny. Biases and personal preferences of those in the room are inevitably amplified”. Continue reading “Covid regulations from a government that doesn’t listen and learn”
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb 