Thursday, July 26, 2007

A trail of lies, deception & secrecy - a view of the Haneef case from Britain.

The Guardian ran a piece on the Haneef case yesterday. The agencies involved appear to have mishandled this investigation across the board. If this is the new anti-terrorist strategy in action then questions need to be asked about the lack of application of key rule of law principles to accused terrorists. A serious miscarriage of justice is likely when the underpinnings of our justice system are disregarded.

The lack of transparency in the handling of the case and the action of the Immigration Minister in canceling Haneef's visa on obfuscated grounds that supposedly go to the question of 'character' are worrying. On the face of it these actions do not appear to serve our democracy well nor do they reflect well on the operation of our justice system. Presumed innocence and habeas corpus principles are abandoned in the name of national security. Now where have I heard of that happening before...?

The latest news is that a prominent QC has indicated the Haneef case will be dropped by the DPP.

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