Head of British bar urges protection of rights in anti-terror campaign News
Head of British bar urges protection of rights in anti-terror campaign

[JURIST] Guy Mansfield QC [profile], chairman of the Bar Council of England and Wales [group website], told the Commonwealth Law Conference [conference website] Monday that suspected terrorists must not be denied their legal and human rights. Mansfield said [prepared remarks, DOC] that "Governments are moving to address internal dangers with greater enthusiasm for repressive measures," warning that "We must be careful our governments do not create a new category of defendant denied basic rights hitherto thought indispensable." Mansfield was referring to recent British government proposals to hold trials in secret, prohibit defendants from seeing some of the evidence against them, and appointing "special advocates" who have been vetted by MI5 security forces [official website], rather than traditional legal representation. BBC News has more.