Tag Archives: alex carlile

The other issue Lib Dem peers can win on tomorrow

By Mark Pack | Published 31st January 2012 - 4:25 pm

Moves in the House of Lords to amend the health and welfare bills have been getting the lion’s share of recent coverage, but this week sees a quartet of Liberal Democrat peers leading the charge on a different topic – the Legal Aid Bill.

Lib Dem Lords Thomas, Carlile, Clement Jones and Phillips have a set of amendments down for debate tomorrow to put right what Ken Clarke hasn’t got right in his zeal to end the so-called ‘compensation culture’. The amendments look to tighten up and improve the plans to ban so-called ‘referral fees’ in personal injury cases. Its these fees which …

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Posted in Op-eds, Parliament | Also tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Anti-terrorism legislation: news emerges of likely reforms

By Mark Pack | Published 30th November 2010 - 12:54 pm

In his Hugo Young lecture last week Nick Clegg clearly signalled the imminent end to control orders. Now over the last couple of days the shape of the likely conclusions from the anti-terrorism review are starting to emerge, with the current 28-day limit on detention without charge coming back down to 14 days. A new set of tighter than usual bail conditions could then be imposed for a further 14 days.

The police’s stop and search powers are also likely to be curtailed, particularly following the news that in the last year over 100,000 stop and searches were conducted under …

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Meanwhile, also in the news…

By Mark Pack | Published 9th November 2010 - 8:54 pm

Former Liberal Democrat MP Alex Carlile is to step down as the government’s Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation on 31 December. He will be succeeded by David Anderson QC, a specialist in EU and public law and human rights and a visiting professor of law at King’s College, London. Lord Carlile will, however, provide expert, independent oversight of the official review of the government’s strategy (“Prevent”) for preventing violent extremism.

Politics.co.uk reports mixed views from Liberal Democrats about how the party’s backbench committees are working: “One co-chair charged with one of the biggest policy portfolios said the committees were a …

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Photographers: ’tis the season to be wary?

By Helen Duffett | Published 3rd December 2009 - 4:02 pm

Suspicious subjects for photos this season include sunsets and Christmas lights. And be especially wary of using the “wrong” sort of camera or taking the “wrong” number of photos (details which are, as yet, not revealed to ordinary, law-abiding shutterbugs).

Two more photographers have been stopped by over-zealous police officers for taking photographs of public scenes, despite being within their rights to do so.

First, a BBC photographer was stopped outside Tate Modern while taking this atmospheric shot:

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Simon Hughes challenges Home Secretary over McKinnon extradition

By Stephen Tall | Published 7th July 2009 - 11:30 am

Yesterday’s LDV highlighted an article by Lib Dem peer Lord (Alex) Carlile, urging that alleged computer hacker Gary McKinnon not be extradited to the USA to face charges – it is feared Mr McKinnon’s health could significantly deteriorate as a result of his Asperger’s condition. Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes used the opportunity of topical questions to the Home Secretary yesterday to ask Alan Johnson direct if he would intervene to prevent Mr McKinnon’s extradition.

Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey) (LD): Will the Home Secretary act now to deal with growing anger in my constituency and around

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CommentIsLinked@LDV: Alex Carlile – Why it would be cruel not to put Gary McKinnon on trial in Britain

By The Voice | Published 6th July 2009 - 10:00 am

Over at the Daily Mail, Lib Dem peer Lord (Alex) Carlile, the independent reviewer of British anti-terrorist laws, takes up the case of Asperger’s sufferer Gary McKinnon, who is under threat of potentially health-threatening extradition to the USA after he hacked his way methodically into protected documents. Lord Carlile argues he should be tried in the British courts:

Gary McKinnon is immature, vulnerable and sadly without insight into the effect he sometimes has on others. He suffers from a severe form of Asperger’s Syndrome. He is obsessive and can be difficult. He hates any changes of routine. Medical evidence shows him

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Posted in LibLink | Also tagged | 2 Comments