• December 16, 2009

CELTIC LEAGUE PRESS INFORMATION

COURT RULING ALSO EXPOSES FLAW IN MANX LEGISLATION

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that stop and search powers granted
to police under the UK Terrorism Act 2000 do not contain adequate safeguards and
are unlawful.

The relevant section of the UK Act has been replicated in the Isle of Man
Anti-Terrorism and Crime Act 2003 and both items of legislation were criticised
by the Celtic League at the time they were introduced – as Bills.

The ECHR judgement highlights the folly of the Isle of Man government’s inane
inclination to `ape’ criminal justice and terrorism legislation first adopted in
the United Kingdom.

The European Court specifically highlighted that the stop and search powers were
“neither sufficiently circumscribed, nor subject to adequate legal safeguards
against abuse”.

The judgement comes as the Isle of Man is set to introduce a further tranche of
criminal justice legislation which will imbue the Manx Police with almost Stasi
like powers – much of the basis of which is imported from the UK.

The fact that the UK government has been found guilty in the European Court may
give MHK’s `pause for thought’ and for once they may not allow themselves to be
pressured by the Islands Department of Home Affairs and Chief Minister into
adopting further flawed legislation.

Information links:

Terrorism act 2000 (UK) (See section 44):

https://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2000/pdf/ukpga_20000011_en.pdf

Anti-Terrorism and Crime Act 2003 (Isle of Man) (See sections 32/33):

https://www.gov.im/lib/docs/infocentre/acts/atca2003.pdf

BBC News report:

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8453878.stm

Related articles on Celtic News:

https://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/1212
https://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/674
https://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/3192
https://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/3184
https://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/268
https://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/367

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

12/01/10

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