Live webchat with Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, Wednesday 4th May, 12pm - 1pm

[KatieMumsnet]

Shami Chakrabarti has been director of Liberty (The National Council for Civil Liberties) since September 2003. She became heavily involved in its engagement with the 'War on Terror', and with the defence and promotion of human rights values in Parliament, the Courts and wider society.

We're delighted that Shami is our guest on Mumsnet from 12-1pm tomorrow, to answer your questions, including the right to peaceful protest, the human rights implications of the 'war on terror', privacy, the rights of vulnerable minorities and the Human Rights Act.

Oh my goodness, cameras in the bathrooms! I would hate that myself, I would not expect my children to put up with it.

Thank you for answering my questions (have followed you on the news etc for years so am a bit chuffed!). I will no doubt be discussing again with my mother, I will be telling her that I asked your opinion!! Thank you!

And do you think you could be/ or would you ever want to be a politician?

@bringmesunshine2009

Constant cuts to legal aid have resulted in serious problems with access to justice, the accused, complainants and witnesses are all being done a disservice as a result. Liberty draws attention to many issues concerning an individuals freedom and liberties, but if there isn't funding for the wronged to obtain assistance, any protective legislation is pointless.

What is Liberty doing to encourage governments to underpin the protection afforded by legislation by provideing financial access to justice?

I agree bringmesunshine2009. You can have the most beautiful laws in the world but they will have no teeth if people can't get access to justice. The decimation of legal aid also feeds the argument that human rights are just for the wealthy (eg privacy injunctions) and not for the bulk of the population.

The tragedy is that Governments of all stripes invariably resent being challenged in the courts and are therefore very happy to denigrate and dilute legal aid. Its bad enough in the boom years and even more readily done during a recession. People fight back to protect their schools, homes and hospitals but the politicians (many of them ex-lawyers) have done a great job of painting legal aid as a "gravy train" for fat cat lawyers rather than a vital public service to protect ordinary people who face losing their homes, children etc in the context of complex litigation.

Liberty is part of a number of campaigning alliances on this issue and will try and do everything we can in the months ahead to highlight the vital importance of access to legal advice and representation.

@LindsayWagner

Hi Shami

Not sure if this is something you're focused on, but have you been following the draft libel legislation, particularly the issues around third-party hosting of comments?

Hi LindsayWagner (great to finally meet the Bionic Woman). We think that the Government's draft libel legislation is an important step in the direction of more free speech but it could go even further. I agree that there is too much liability on the part of third-party hosts and that this can have a real chilling effect on vital debates.

Hi Shami,

You campaign for human rights. Would it be the humane thing to do to put Nadine Dorries out to pasture somewhere after her ridiculous 10 minute sex ed for girls bill teaching (in a nutshell) that girls are tarts and need to be taught to keep their knickers up?

@Snorbs

Hi Shami, I'm really pleased that you'll be on here today! I've always felt that Liberty plays an incredibly important role in British politics.

My question: Yesterday, the inquest into Ian Tomlinson's death ruled that he was unlawfully killed. This seems to cast even more of a cloud over the deeply questionable conduct of the Met Police, the pathology service, the IPCC and the CPS.

What would you like to see happen next and how can these tragic situations be handled better in the future?

Thanks Snorbs. I would like the CPS review of the prosecution to be conducted as soon and speedily as possible (ie weeks not months). Once the issue of criminal culpability has been sorted out, I do think that there are some major questions to be answered about all the services that you refer to and in particular the IPCC has got to be quicker and more robust in its role in the future.

@Crumblemum

And do you think you could be/ or would you ever want to be a politician?

Crumblemum I think I know my weaknesses...like towing a party line!

@charlie06

Hello Shami, so good to have you on mumsnet.

I have a very straight forward question,

what do you think about a local authority maintained school sending home bibles with the children that attend, is it ok that they assume pupils and their families follow the christian faith?

The school is as far as I know a non denominational school, which is one of the reasons why we chose it.

I would really be interested to hear what Liberty's views are on pluralist religious views and the individual family's right to self determination in relation to religion.

I believe in freedom of faith, conscience and religion, That means the right to a faith, to no faith and crucially to be a heretic within any religious community. I have no problem with children studying the Bible as long as they are studying other religious texts as well as literature that offers a critique of various religious ideas as well. Thats my view of education, inviting people to think critically and decide for themselves.

That's all folks - thanks so much Shami for your considered answers and for the extra time.

Yes, thanks ever so much Shami for taking the time to answer all those questions. And keep up the good work!

This must be one of the best mumsnet chats ever, I think. Really considered, intelligent replies.

Agree, great webchat. Thanks, Shami.

Excellent webchat MNTowers, thought Shami came across really well on a real range of subjects. Would have liked to hear her thoughts on my media question, but it was covered in part by her answer to MmeLindt.

Was looking at the Liberty guidance for journalists on their website yesterday, is very interesting and comprehensive. Can imagine it would be useful for knocking round the heads of Daily Mail journos

she answered my q - very honoured!

Wow - a good webchat. Some of the arsehole politicians should take note.

Gutted that i sort of missed this because of being at work
But really pleased that one question has finally been resolved for me as I also wondered if Rita Chakrabarti was Shami's sister.

I definitely think Shami is a fantastic person because she sounds so sensible and yet has raised the profile of emotive issues

missed this will read through
obviously real life got in the way

Great webchat, sorry to have missed it. I'm a big fan of SC.

(She is SO a MNer, though, isn't she? Look how effortlessly she deployed those emoticons! )