The Lords has defeated the government a total of six times during the Public Order Report Stage.
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
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.
Metropolitan Police: Criminality
The “spy cops” undercover policing inquiry that is going on at the moment has taken years. It is a classic case of police forces covering up former crimes. What makes the Minister think the Angiolini inquiry will be any different? Continue reading “Metropolitan Police: Criminality”
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”
A failing police service given draconian powers
Baroness Jenny Jones, issued this statement in response to the conviction of Elite Metropolitan police officer David Carrick, as a serial rapist.
Continue reading “A failing police service given draconian powers”
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”
Seasons Greetings
| Here is the latest news about what Natalie Bennett and Jenny Jones have been doing recently and a few highlights of 2022 working full time as the Green Party’s representatives in the House of Lords |
National Security Bill Committee Stage Day 1
This Bill is the National Security Bill and, therefore, it ought to be about national security. The offences should not be able to be translated to other areas. These offences are drawn so badly and broadly that they will criminalise a huge range of conduct which might only vaguely affect the interests of the UK. It is a dangerous piece of legislation, because it is so broad that the police and security services will be able to turn it into something they can use against far too many people. Continue reading “National Security Bill Committee Stage Day 1”
Metropolitan Police: Crime and Misconduct
A senior officer asked me this week what areas of policing the police were getting right—and I could not reply. I could not think of one. Continue reading “Metropolitan Police: Crime and Misconduct”
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb 