Saturday 21 August 2010

EU Arrest Warrant does not work - deluded ministers think they have power to intervene (they don't)

I am no big fan of the EU, everyone knows that who follows this blogs frequently. I despise the organisation lock, stock and barrel. But I particularly loathe the EAW or the European Arrest Warrant as it is also know. The number of people in Britain seized under the controversial "no-evidence-needed" European Arrest Warrant rose by more than 50 per cent last year, figures obtained by The Sunday Telegraph show. That's right a foreign court does not need to present the evidence to the British authorities they merely need them to surrender the "suspect" to them.

This is not justice, it is not common law and certainly not habeas corpus. You have the right to face your accuser and a right to know the charges, if you live in a civilised country. I spoke about 'rights' in the previous post but it is becoming abundantly clear even to the most hardline ignorant, are having a hard time denying the disappearance of the latter. Don't take my word for it though read the article yourself.

I love the part in the end where it says, and I quote:
"The Government is committed to reviewing the UK’s extradition arrangements."
The complete and utter failure of the EAW should be insult enough but the chagrin continues. Her Majesty's government is not so ignorant that they do not know EU law. Once the UK has opted in to a measure, it cannot then opt out again should it decide that the direction of negotiations is not to its liking – a decision to opt in is irreversible. In the words of the House of Lords Committee, "the UK may end up bound by a measure with which it does not fully agree." (see House of Lords EU Committee, ‘The Treaty of Lisbon: An impact assessment”, 13 March 2008, p168)

The gentleman above, whom this quote belongs to, is complicit in a complete and utter fabrication of the truth. That quote is a lie and the gentleman to which it belongs is a liar .
The government has no more power over this issue than they have over the weather tomorrow. The British government does not control the day to day management of this country. When is the media going to comprehend this simple fact; we are not an independent country anymore and seized to be so a long time ago.

The EU really does push the right buttons for me but this particular issue really gets the old rage going into overdrive. I wrote a long and winding article about the EAW in our student newspaper back in the day, and that little stunt landed me in a cafe with an italian gentleman who had read it. I spent two hours arguing with him over the virtues of freedom and proper democratic process in the face of oppression, kleptocracy and autocracy. Make no mistake the EU is heading in the complete wrong direction on virtually everything in my opinion, but particularly so with justice and the legitimate process thereof. I could scarcely believe what I was hearing on the other side of the table "Independence is bad, strength in numbers etcetera." He will no doubt make a fine commissioner one day.

1 comment:

Indyanhat said...

You are so right 13th, have you joined the group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=116388548411257&v=info
which is campaigning against it? the EAW that is.