The Law Lords were forced to allow an appeal against control orders even though they thought this the wrong decision.

From the Press Association report:

"Lord Phillips, the senior Law Lord, said that a judgment at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) required the appeals to be allowed.

Lord Hoffman agreed, but added: "I do so with considerable regret, because I think that the decision of the ECtHR was wrong and that it may well destroy the system of control orders, which is a significant part of this country's defences against terrorism.""

"This simply shows the way in which we no longer rule ourselves." said Nigel Farage, UKIP leader. "Here we have our most senior judges complaining that their hands are tied. They do not want to make this decision but they have to because European law over rides our own.

"Who can support this? That judges from Serbia, Bosnia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Albania, judges who have no knowledge of our system, no knowledge of our law, are the most powerful court in our land?"