Clegg vows to restore civil liberties in Britain

Britain vows to change 'embarrassing' libel law...
Britain's plaintiff-friendly Libel laws have become an international embarrassment, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Friday, vowing to change rules that have made the country a "libel Tourism" destination for angry corporations and foreign celebrities. In a Speech on Civil Liberties, Clegg said the existing laws, which place the burden of proof on defendants, have a chilling effect on journalism and scientific debate. It is "simply not right when academics and Journalists are effectively bu...

Britain Vows To Change 'Embarrassing' Libel Law
Britain's plaintiff-friendly Libel laws have become an international embarrassment, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Friday, vowing to change rules that have made the country a "libel Tourism" destination for angry corporations and foreign celebrities. In a Speech on Civil Liberties, Clegg said the existing laws, which place the burden of proof on defendants, have a chilling effect on journalism and scientific debate. It is "simply not right when academics and Journalists are effectively bu...

Clegg to outline stance on terror
Nick Clegg is to promise a tough but fair approach when he outlines the government's views on anti-terror Legislation and Civil Liberties. It comes as ministers try to reach agreement over a replacement for control orders, which place a series of constraints on Terror Suspects. Mr Clegg will also announce plans to reform Libel laws. The deputy Prime Minister will make his case for reforming anti-terror laws and promoting Civil Liberties. He will accuse Labour of presiding over the most aggr...

Clegg Admits Defeat: UK Control Orders to Remain in All But Name
With his political star already clearly fading, British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg saw another defeat today when his much publicized effort to end the practice of “control orders,” the British term for House Arrest without charges, has been a failure. This comes less than a week after his party was touting the secret “Compromise” deal as a big win, but now reports say that the program will remain essentially unchanged, except that they will stop calling them ̶...

British PM says trusts deputy, but not friends
British Prime Minister David Cameron said he trusted his deputy Nick Clegg but would not go so far as to say they were friends, in an interview out Saturday. Cameron told the Daily Mail newspaper that both his Conservatives and Clegg's Liberal Democrats had taken a risk in governing together. Asked if he would describe himself and Clegg as friends yet, Cameron replied: "Hmm. Well, we wouldn't go to the cinema together, quite, but we've had him and (his wife) Miriam round for supper." Cameron has...

Coalition 'faces test in Oldham'
The by-election in Oldham represents the first chance for voters to pass judgement on the Coalition Government, Labour leader Ed Miliband has said. Mr Miliband was campaigning in Oldham East and Saddleworth for a third time ahead of Thursday's by-election. He told party volunteers voters could "send a message" about Tuition fees, police cuts and the VAT rise. David Cameron has rejected claims the poll amounts to a Referendum on the Lib Dem-Conservative coalition. The by-election w...

Nick Clegg: Coalition will replace control order regime
guardian.co.uk, Friday 7 January 2011 12.07 GMT Nick Clegg said more account needed to be taken of Civil Liberties while countering Terrorism. Photograph: Getty Images The deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, today confirmed that the control order regime will be replaced by the Coalition Government, ending the "virtual house arrest" of Terror Suspects. In a keynote London Speech on civil liberties, Clegg said no final agreement had been reached by ministers on a replacement of the controversi...

Control orders are to be scrapped. About time too
Control orders are to be scrapped. Good. We don’t yet know what will replace them, and any combination of tagging, travel bans and the like will have to be closely scrutinised. But it now looks very likely that House Arrest will have no further place in our Democracy. The orders brought in by Labour represented the worst of both worlds. They were both an affront to liberty and an obstacle to justice. No suspect sitting at hime, cut off from all outside communication, is likely to provide...

Empty homes rules tightened 'to protect civil liberties'
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 6 January 2011 23.00 GMT The government is to tighten up the rules that allow councils to seize empty homes, claiming the current system, introduced under Labour, infringes Civil Liberties. Eric Pickles, the communities secretary, said he was protecting the "fundamental human right" to property, citing cases where people have had their homes seized when visiting sick relatives abroad for extended periods. But charities claimed the move would deter councils from reclaimi...

Britain vows to change 'embarrassing' libel law
Britain's deputy Prime Minister says the country's plaintiff-friendly Libel laws have become an international embarrassment and must be changed. Nick Clegg says the existing laws, which place the burden of proof on defendants, have a chilling effect on journalism and scientific debate. He is saying in a Speech Friday that it is "simply not right when academics and Journalists are effectively bullied into silence" by the prospect of costly legal battles. The government, elected in May, has promis...

Britain vows to change 'embarrassing' libel law
LONDON - Britain's deputy Prime Minister says the country's plaintiff-friendly Libel laws have become an international embarrassment and must be changed. Nick Clegg says the existing laws, which place the burden of proof on defendants, have a chilling effect on journalism and scientific debate. He is saying in a Speech Friday that it is "simply not right when academics and Journalists are effectively bullied into silence" by the prospect of costly legal battles. The government, elected in ...

British PM says trusts deputy, but not yet friends
British Prime Minister David Cameron said he trusted his deputy Nick Clegg but would not go so far as to say they were friends, in an interview out Saturday. Cameron told the Daily Mail newspaper that both his Conservatives and Clegg's Liberal Democrats had taken a risk in governing together. Asked if he would describe himself and Clegg as friends yet, Cameron replied: "Hmm. Well, we wouldn't go to the cinema together, quite, but we've had him and (his wife) Miriam round for supper." Cameron has...

British Royal Family granted new right of secrecy
The Royal Family is to be granted absolute protection from public scrutiny in a Controversial legal reform designed to draw a veil of secrecy over the affairs of the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William. Letters, emails and documents relating to the monarch, her heir and the second in line to the throne will no longer be disclosed even if they are in the public interest. Sweeping changes to the Freedom of Information Act will reverse advances which had briefly shone a light on the royal fin...

'Laughing stock' libel laws to be reformed, says Nick Clegg
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 6 January 2011 20.18 GMT Nick Clegg will tomorrow set out the most ambitious plans yet to relax Britain's Libel laws, saying he will back a raft of reforms including a statutory public interest defence. He will say: "We intend to provide a new statutory defence for those speaking out in the public interest. And to clarify the law around the existing defences of fair comment and justification." Britain will become the first country to ask parliament to set out its Libel ...

The LWOT: Obama considers ignoring Congressional Gitmo ban; UK to modify but continue control orders - by Andrew Lebovich
Foreign Policy and the New America Foundation bring you a twice weekly brief on the legal War on Terror. You can read it on foreignpolicy.com or get it delivered directly to your inbox -- just sign up here. The Investigative Journalism website ProPublica reported Jan. 3 that President Barack Obama was considering issuing a "signing statement" declaring his intention not to abide by provisions of a new defense spending bill limiting his authority to transfer Guantánamo Bay detaine...

David Cameron denies Oldham byelection pact claims
David Cameron visited Oldham East and Saddleworth today to dispel claims of a byelection pact with the Lib Dems. The prime minster urged voters to back the Conservative Candidate, barrister Kashif Ali. Photograph: WPA Pool/Getty Images David Cameron paid a flying visit to Oldham East and Saddleworth today to dispel suspicions that the Tories are pulling punches in the byelection campaign to help their Lib Dem coalition partners defeat Labour next Thursday - or at least to spare them a ...

Let Civil Liberties & Freedom Ring!
Clegg claimed that in recent times under Labour many of Britain’s best traditions have suffered—and that many of its Civil Liberties “have been undermined, eroded, lost.” They[Labour] turned Britain into a place where schools can fingerprint your Children without their parents’ consent. Where councils use Surveillance powers designed to tackle crime to check if you’re cleaning up after your dog. Where thousands of new criminal offences have amassed on to the s...

Was David Cameron's quip a way of distancing himself from Andy Coulson? | Michael White
Was David Cameron's quip a way of distancing himself from Andy Coulson? David Cameron campaigns with the Conservative Candidate Kashif Ali in Oldham. Photograph: Andrew Yates/PA I must admit that I find David Cameron a likeable public figure, both in the way he usually conducts himself in the day job and in occasional brief exchanges when we meet. But he has a dangerous streak of flippancy that makes me wince and wonder what it says about him. Or is it what it says about Andy Coulson? Here's...

Kitchen cabinets in politics: Can stand the heat
SURVEYS often find that even very senior politicians struggle to be recognised by an indifferent public. The advisers who serve them are even more anonymous. Toiling away in Westminster’s back rooms are aides whose influence comes without the burdens of public exposure. And at least for the handful of very senior advisers, that influence is considerable. All three Party Leaders now have a powerful right-hand man. Ed Miliband is a far punchier leader of the Labour Party than he was just a ...

Ed Miliband accuses Tories of 'great deceit' in blaming Labour for deficit
Ed Miliband, speaking at Labour's campaign centre in Oldham yesterday. The Labour leader today attacked the Tories for 'rewriting history'. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA Ed Miliband accuses the Conservatives today of a "great deceit" in blaming Labour for the national Deficit and warned that they have concocted a false narrative to justify politically driven cuts. In announcing a raft of swingeing public Spending Cuts the Coalition Government has repeatedly sought to portray that its hands a...

Cameron to promote growth plans
Prime Minister David Cameron is promoting his Economic Growth plans on a visit to the North-West of England. He is being accompanied by Lord Heseltine, recently appointed chair of a new regional growth task force. The Tory leader has also promised to hit the Campaign Trail in Oldham East and Saddleworth, with a week to go before a crucial by-election. He has denied the Tories are soft-pedalling in the seat to give coalition partners the Lib Dems a better chance. Nick Clegg's party is in nee...

Fuel duty cut urged as bills rise
The price of petrol has hit another record high, prompting a Small Business organisation to urge the government to consider cutting fuel duty. The average price of unleaded has hit 127.7p per litre, according to Experian Catalist. The government confirmed it was looking at a fuel price stabiliser, which would cut duty when the price of oil went up. But the Forum of Private Business has urged the government to just cut duty if this was too difficult to introduce. Prime Minister David Cameron ...

A Day After Reading Constitution, Republicans Abolish Civil Liberties, Civil Liberties Bits of It
I sort of expected the Republicans to abolish labor-or at least its named inclusion among the business of Congressional Committees. After all, the GOP really doesn’t like tough things like physical work or the people who do it. But it wasn’t so long ago that the Republican Party-not to mention its newest Activist branch, the Tea Party-claimed to give a damn about Civil Liberties. Hell, Louie Gohmert, who reassured me yesterday the Fourth Amendment is still on the ...

NADLER: Again-GOP Only Interested in Some of Constitution-Banishes Civil Rights & Civil Liberties
Source: Nadler Press Release NADLER: Again, GOP Only Interested in Some of the Constitution, Banishes Civil Rights and Civil Liberties from Judiciary Committee Friday, 07 January 2011 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), who has served as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties since 2007, responded to news that the Republican-led Judiciary Committee will change the name of the Subcommittee to the “Constitution Subcommittee..

UK moves to extend freedom of information laws
Britain's No. 2 official says the government should release its secrets sooner and has proposed reforming the U.K.'s freedom of information law. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says he wants to cut the time officials can keep records from the public down to 20 years from the current 30 years. He also wants to expand the scope of law, which now covers U.K. government departments and local councils. Clegg says he wants it to cover more para-governmental bodies, such as Britain's Association of Ch...