A small bit of anti-dhimmitude from the largely hopeless Blair. Of course these laws need overhauling — and it needs to be done in a very careful manner, so as to assuage any legitimate human rights and civil rights concerns. Blair is right that the Afghan hijacker ruling is “barmy” — but so is his bland and evidence-free assumption that most Muslims in Britain are loyal and pose no actual or potential terrorist threat. His unwillingness to face the scope and implications of the jihad ideology presents a problem far larger than that represented by the misuse of human rights law.
From the Guardian, with thanks to JE:
Tony Blair is planning a radical overhaul of Britain’s controversial human rights legislation after claims that the present laws put the rights of criminals above those of victims.
In a move which brought immediate criticism from human rights’ experts, the Prime Minister wants the government to have the power to override court rulings. The move comes only days after Blair criticised a senior judge for preventing the deportation of nine Afghan refugees who hijacked a plane to Britain. Downing Street said he was determined to find a way around such ‘barmy’ court rulings.
Blair unveiled his plans in a letter to the new Home Secretary, John Reid, in which he set out his ‘most urgent policy tasks’. Legal experts and civil liberties groups accused Blair of playing politics with fundamental rights. The Observer has obtained a copy of the letter, which says it is essential to ‘ensure the law-abiding majority can live without fear’.