International Law

Statement on the Woodhill Prison bugging, Wilson Doctrine etc.

We will comment more fully on the statement by the Home SecretaryJacqui Smith regarding the report by the Rt. Ho. Sir Christopher Rose into the Sadiq Khan Mp / babar Ahmad prison bugging affair, when the transcript becomes available in a few hours.

As anticipated, no illegality or wrongdoing has been discovered by the Chief Surveillance Commissioner, but he did not actually speak with the ex-Police Officer who did the actual bugging. No lawyers priviliged conversations apear to have been bugged, something which is patently at odds with several media reports.

The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith seems to be willing to clarify and extend the Statutory Code of Practice covering Police Intrusice and Directed surveillance, to treat MP's constituency conversations on the same basis as other legally priviliged conversations, i.e. like those involving a solicitor or other legal advisor or a ministers of religion

She also said that this would apply to Members of the European Parliament and the Welshj Assembly, but that Northern Ireland and Scotland would need to be handled by their devolved administrations.

This is< strong> not an extension of the Wilson Doctrine, which was mentioned, as not applying , technically, to the Woodhill Prison bugging affair.

Meanwhile, you can enjoy the rubber stamping of the Order to renewe the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, i.e. the controversial Control Order legislation.

It looks as if there are even fewer MPs "debating" the Order than there were last year.

Full post as published by Spy Blog on February 21, 2008 (boomark / email).