British Democracy Forum - View Single Post

John Page · 28-11-2005, 02:44 PM

This is not a UKIP press release.

UKIP, the anti-EU party which gained over 600,000 votes in the general election, commented today on the proposed European Evidence Warrant (EEW).

The party called on the government to veto the proposal when it is debated this week.

A UKIP spokesman said:"Should European Union countries have the automatic right to gather evidence in the UK to support allegations of activities which may not even be illegal here? We say No.

"UKIP believes in civil liberties. This proposal would give more rights to European Union countries, and reduce the rights of British citizens.

"We urge all parties to join with us in opposing it."

==========

Note to Editors:

A House of Commons Committee has expressed "grave doubts about applying the principle of mutual recognition to orders which are made without the person affected being given an opportunity to be heard in his defence.... These doubts would be substantial enough if the foreign orders were made by a court or a similar body having recognisably judicial functions. They are made the more serious by the possibility under this proposal that the orders of a foreign police force, customs or border authority would have to be given effect in this country with no further judicial validation here."

They added that "We ... have expressed in the strongest terms our concern that the measure could and would be used by foreign authorities to subject persons in this country to the exercise of police powers when, under the laws of the various parts of the United Kingdom, they have done nothing wrong."

The Commons Commitee pointed out that "Above all is the consideration that it is for the foreign issuing authority to classify the conduct as one of the offences in the list. For example, if a foreign authority were to regard the publishing by a journalist of an article trivialising war crimes as the offence of "racism and xenophobia", or the paying of officials for information about fraud or mismanagement by public bodies as "corruption", then under the EEW a journalist who had written such an article or arranged for such payments here would be at risk of a search of his home and office in this country in support of the foreign criminal proceedings."

The Committee's full comments are at http://www.publications.parliament.u...34-ix/3403.htm

This is not a UKIP press release.

28-11-2005, 02:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
John Page Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Welwyn Hatfield (Herts.) Posts: 1,878	This is not a UKIP press release. UKIP, the anti-EU party which gained over 600,000 votes in the general election, commented today on the proposed European Evidence Warrant (EEW). The party called on the government to veto the proposal when it is debated this week. A UKIP spokesman said:"Should European Union countries have the automatic right to gather evidence in the UK to support allegations of activities which may not even be illegal here? We say No. "UKIP believes in civil liberties. This proposal would give more rights to European Union countries, and reduce the rights of British citizens. "We urge all parties to join with us in opposing it." ========== Note to Editors: A House of Commons Committee has expressed "grave doubts about applying the principle of mutual recognition to orders which are made without the person affected being given an opportunity to be heard in his defence.... These doubts would be substantial enough if the foreign orders were made by a court or a similar body having recognisably judicial functions. They are made the more serious by the possibility under this proposal that the orders of a foreign police force, customs or border authority would have to be given effect in this country with no further judicial validation here." They added that "We ... have expressed in the strongest terms our concern that the measure could and would be used by foreign authorities to subject persons in this country to the exercise of police powers when, under the laws of the various parts of the United Kingdom, they have done nothing wrong." The Commons Commitee pointed out that "Above all is the consideration that it is for the foreign issuing authority to classify the conduct as one of the offences in the list. For example, if a foreign authority were to regard the publishing by a journalist of an article trivialising war crimes as the offence of "racism and xenophobia", or the paying of officials for information about fraud or mismanagement by public bodies as "corruption", then under the EEW a journalist who had written such an article or arranged for such payments here would be at risk of a search of his home and office in this country in support of the foreign criminal proceedings." The Committee's full comments are at http://www.publications.parliament.u...34-ix/3403.htm This is not a UKIP press release.