The world does not need any more political bloggers – there are plenty of excellent ones about of all shades (a few here) – so I shall confine myself to weaving politics and law together in a way that, perhaps, reflects my wine consumption as the day progresses.
And here is a story that really astonished me… from The Independent:
A senior Scotland Yard officer assaulted and falsely arrested a man in a row over payment for a personal website, a court heard today. Ali Dizaei, 47, abused his position as a Metropolitan Police commander to further his own interests, a jury was told. He then wove a web of lies in the aftermath of the row outside a west London restaurant, Southwark Crown Court heard. Prosecutor Stephen Wright QC said Dizaei “bullied” and “threatened” Iraqi web designer Waad Al-Baghdadi He said: “These are allegations of the wholesale abuse of power by a senior police officer for entirely personal and oblique motives.”
The case continues…
Hoon and Straw to give Iraq evidence
Jack Straw and Geoff Hoon are to be the first members of Tony Blair’s Cabinet to give evidence to the Iraq Inquiry, it was announced today. Geoff Hoon is lined up for two three hour sessions. I would imagine, in the light of recent events, that he is likely to be less reticent and less prone to dissimulation.
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Old Holborn is on the money again with this… Cromwell your MP:
“My attention has been brought to a mischevious little website set up to annoy the 646. It takes the hassle out of abusing MPs by automatically formatting and sending the following speech by Cromwell to any MP you fancy….”
Release of secret child punishment manual ordered
The Guardian reports: The information commissioner has said that a secret prison service punishment manual used in privately run child jails should be made public after a three-year freedom of information battle. The 114-page Physical Control in Care training manual details restraint techniques authorised for use on children in secure training centres.They include detailed descriptions of “distraction” techniques, which deliberately inflict pain and were found by the court of appeal to have been routinely unlawfully used in secure training centres……
The Guardian noted.. with a wry twist at the end...”MPs and peers said their were alarmed when they saw the headings of some of the redacted sections of the manual covered issues including “hair grab”, “strangle on the ground”, “strangle against the wall”, “strangle on the ground”, “kicks standing” and “kicks on the floor”………The MPs and peers also concluded in their report that it was impossible to tell whether physical restraint techniques complied with human rights when they remained secret.”
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