David Allen Green @ davidallengreen
- Here is the tale of Theresa and Abu.
- Once upon a time Theresa was Home Secretary.
One day she had to deal with a request from Jordan for Abu's deportation.
- She was not the first Home Secretary to have to deal with this request. But there was a problem.
- The was the prospect that the evidence to be used against Abu in Jordan had been obtained by torture.
- And if so, it was not lawfully open to the UK under ECHR to deport anybody if there was prospect of torture-gained evidence being used.
- So what did Theresa do?
She huffed and puffed at the courts, spending huge amounts of public money.
- Click here t.co/peO6mra3Dd and see how many QCs she instructed for one appeal.
One QC.
Two QCs.
Three QCs.
Yes, three QCs.
- Those in the media who rail against "fat cat lawyers" didn't mind the government instructing three QCs at public expense, in this case.
- But Theresa still lost that case. She lost every appeal, however much taxpayers' money she threw at the case.
10. And the reason she lost was, well, because torture is absolutely wrong, and no one should be deported to face torture-based evidence.
11. Having lost in her attempt at shouting at the courts, Theresa tried a new tactic.
She shouted at Europe.
12. It was seriously suggested that the UK "temporarily" leave the ECHR - see
www.theguardian.com/law/2013/apr/24/european-rights-convention-abu-qatada
13. This idea did not get far, because it was laughed at by a Lord Chancellor called Kenneth.
14. But Theresa had got the tabloids in a frenzy at this case - she had shouted at the courts and at Europe, but none of it had worked.
15. And so Theresa quietly did a sensible deal with Jordan where they agreed never to use torture-based evidence.
16. You would say this was a Good Thing, as it meant there would be no torture-based evidence used in Jordan again.
17. But Theresa did not want to talk about it.
Instead she made out she had deported him "despite" ECHR rather than in compliance with it.
18. So despite huffing and puffing and exciting the tabloids and threatening suspension and appealing, she did what the ECHR required anyway
19. Theresa ended up doing a sensible deal on Abu, contrary to the expectations and demands of the press, but then pretended she hadn't.
20. In turn, Abu in Jordan was cleared, as the supposed serious (torture-based) evidence against him was no longer admissible.
21. And Theresa got another job where she shouted at courts and at Europe, getting press into a frenzy, and then she....
(to be continued).