Jennie Rigg | Liberal Conspiracy

SECTION

Lawyer-Client Privilege is No More

by Jennie Rigg
March 24, 2009 at 12:28 pm

Via Purple Cthulhu and El Reg comes the news that The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act specifically authorises bugging of lawyer-client privileged discussions, something that pre-RIPA had been assumed to be sacrosanct.

“In its natural and ordinary sense [RIPA] is capable of applying to privileged consultations and there is nothing in its wording which would operate to exclude them,” Lord Carswell wrote in his ruling. “It seems to me unlikely that the possibility of RIPA applying to privileged consultations could have passed unnoticed [in Parliament]. On the contrary, it is an obvious application of the Act, yet no provision was put in to exclude them.”

So we can add Lawyer-client confidentiality to the right to silence and habeus corpus and all the other protections for the accused which have gone by the wayside under this government. Another salami slice gone.

Something for my homeboy Huhne to add to his freedom bill, perhaps?

14 Comments ¦ 24th March

by Jennie Rigg
March 23, 2009 at 1:17 pm

KNIVES OUT OVER CAMPBELL

Nationwide
Brown plans global scrutiny of tax havens
Shoppers need clear labels to stop ‘greenwash’
Course to teach imams about cohesion
Conservatives in disarray on tax promise

International
Outrage at South Africa’s ban on Dalai Lama
Terror fears force India to abandon cricket plans
US seeks investors to buy $1trillion bad assets
A web site’s for-Profit approach to world news

DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Jennie Rigg

Think you’ve spotted a blog we should be linking to? Email and let us know!

Will Rhodes, James Graham and Chicken Yoghurt are all discussing the database state today, their own inimicable ways. I like Chicky Yog’s pithy post best, but they are all worth reading.

My fiancé is a terrorist. I am very pleased that Gordon Brown is now referring to it as The War Against Terror again, by the way. The acronym is SO appropriate.

Hagley Road to Ladywood is incensed by the fact that hate crime doesn’t get any attention when it’s homophobic hate crime.

Jonny Wright is mildly disbelieving of Patricia Hewitt’s newfound advocacy of assisted dying.

Bad Conscience is amused by the Tories squabbling over Inheritance Tax.

The Art of Restraining Power examines the blogosphere’s react to Obama’s Iranian speech.

Debi Linton has a Very Important Appeal for twitterers and non-twitterers alike. The subject is one close to my heart, so I hope you will do what you can.

And if you hanker after more linkage, this week’s Britblog Roundup is at the very pink Suzblog, or you can browse through previous Netcasts

5 Comments ¦ 23rd March

Slipping a Rizla between Labour and the Tories

by Jennie Rigg
February 25, 2009 at 11:05 am

Tory bloggers like to crow about how awful and incompetent and corrupt and authoritarian the Labour government is, and how different the Tories will be when they get in. If, by any chance, anyone brings up past performance they point out that it was a terribly long time ago they were last in government, and anyway, look at David Davis!!!

Ah yes, David Davis. The man who thinks 42 days is worth resigning over, but 28 days is A-OK! Well, you can paint him as a Tory Champion of Liberty if you like but Cameron and his little buddies, emboldened by the recent opinion poll leads, are distancing themselves from his Liberal agenda at the speed of light.

And yes, that is this Chris Grayling they’re talking about. Oh how corrupt and incompetent and anti-liberty the Labour party are. Isn’t there something Christians say about planks and eyeballs?

And then there’s yesterday’s news (broken by Jo Swinson) that Jack Straw has disobeyed a court order because ~~he’s Judge Jack Straw, and he doesn’t have to go through no stinkin’ appeals procedure!~~ it might be embarrassing for various people.
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24 Comments ¦ 25th February