This caught my eye in the paper yesterday related to the case of the Islamists that had been plotting kidnap and murder.

This caught my eye in the paper yesterday related to the case of the
Islamists that had been plotting kidnap and murder.

"Basiru gassama, a Gambian man Khan tried to recruit to help him,
pleaded guilty to failing to inform police and was sentenced to two
years. Having already served an eqivalent time, the judge ordered that
he should be deported to Gambia."

Notice the travesty of justice? Nothing to do with the case itself. It
happens in many cases, ones without even the slightest similarity to
this one. The problem was that he was sentenced to a time that he had
already been held on remand. In this case he was guilty, but what if
he had not been? Guilty or innocent he would have been held in prison
for exactly the same time. Guilty or innocent he would have had the
same punishment. This cannot be right.

Once Labour have been thrown out hopefully it will be possible to
overturn their many attacks to the ancient principle of Habeas Corpus,
including the prospective extension to 42 days. Hopefully at that
point it will also be possible to bring the spirt of Habeas back to
the law by reforming the dreadful remand system as well.