Discredited control orders scheme should be scrapped - Huhne

"This scheme should be scrapped before any more taxpayers’ money is wasted on court cases," said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary. Commenting on the decision by Alan Johnson to release a man who had been held under a control order for three years, Chris Huhne said:

“This is yet another blow to the Government’s discredited and illiberal control orders scheme.

“It flies in the face of British justice to place people under de facto house arrest without even telling them why.

“This scheme should be scrapped before any more taxpayers’ money is wasted on court cases where the Home Office trying to defend the indefensible.”

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?"