Why I resigned from The Special Immigration Appeals Commission
Thursday, March 25th, 2004In January 2004 I resigned from The Special Immigration Appeals Commission. This explains why.
Entries in March, 2004
Hitting children
Sunday, March 7th, 2004The government’s supine refusal to ban hitting (”smacking”) children as part of the new legislation on child abuse, despite our obligation to do so under an international Convention which we have ratified.
Alastair Campbell at the Royal Festival Hall
Sunday, March 7th, 2004A night at the Royal Festival Hall with Alistair Campbell: a colossal ego trip before an adoring audience, but a good night out.
Tony Blair on the use of force
Sunday, March 7th, 2004Tony Blair’s Sedgefield speech: some of the issues of trust that arise from the Iraq war, not just issues of judgement; his erroneous claim that there is no provision in international law permitting pre-emptive use of force to deal with new kinds of indirect threats such as terrorism and WMD, and that changes in the UN and the Charter are needed for this purpose; some of the arguments for using force against Saddam were inherently sound but the US and UK failed to convince the Security Council of the need for immediate military action.
Did the Attorney General change his mind?
Monday, March 1st, 2004The mysterious case of the Attorney-General’s advice on the legality or otherwise of the Iraq war: did he change his mind and supply advice that appeared to legitimise what the government had already decided to do?
‘Lost in Translation’
Monday, March 1st, 2004‘Lost in Translation’, a beautiful film.
Bugging allegations by Katharine Gun and Clare Short
Monday, March 1st, 2004The “bugging” allegations by Katharine Gun and Clare Short: myths and realities.
