I have written to the Home Secretary recently asking him to both investigate the source of briefings about the reasons for the recent arrests in Birmingham and also to bring this trend to a halt.
There have been three occasions recently where the police and courts have been badly undermined by bad briefing. One was the Ipswich murders, another was the loans for peerages and the third was the arrests in Birmingham.
If there are allegations to be considered then they should be considered in court. The police are being undermined by those people who start these particular hares running.
It is important that justice be seen to be done as well as justice being done. At the moment the national trends on criminal justice undermine the rule of law.
There have been three occasions recently where the police and courts have been badly undermined by bad briefing. One was the Ipswich murders, another was the loans for peerages and the third was the arrests in Birmingham.
If there are allegations to be considered then they should be considered in court. The police are being undermined by those people who start these particular hares running.
It is important that justice be seen to be done as well as justice being done. At the moment the national trends on criminal justice undermine the rule of law.
Comments
Except for John Reid himself, of course.
There is a certain Latin pleasure about watching him flee around the Westminster arena as the lions of the fourth estate give chase.