The 'abolition of parliament' Bill
A Farmer | 20.02.2006 22:13
New parliament Bill to, by stealth, crushs our civil liberties and simultaneously strengthens government powers.
The ‘abolition of Parliament’s’ bill
I urge the people of this country to condemn the government’s legislative and regulatory Bill. The bill will effectively allow ministers to amend repeal or replace any legislation without consulting parliament. It even allows ministers to create new offences with penalties of up to 2 years in prison, without having to submit to a parliament vote. In the words of the Bill ‘A minister of the crown may by order make provision for… amending, repealing or replace legislation... In any way that an act might.’
Very few people know about this Bill and yet its impact on our constitutional liberties will be immense. It has been referred to by Cambridge Law Professor John Spensor, as the ‘abolition of parliament’ Bill, as it will give the government the ability to completely bypass democratic scrutiny on most issues.
According to Professor John Spensor, the bill could be used to introduce house arrest, give the police greater powers of arrest and interrogation, set up new courts and in effect re-write the rules on immigration, nationality, divorce, inheritance and the appointment of judges – all without democratic scrutiny.
The lack of outcry is outstanding. Media coverage has been nil. The erosion of our civil liberties is near completion.
A Farmer
I urge the people of this country to condemn the government’s legislative and regulatory Bill. The bill will effectively allow ministers to amend repeal or replace any legislation without consulting parliament. It even allows ministers to create new offences with penalties of up to 2 years in prison, without having to submit to a parliament vote. In the words of the Bill ‘A minister of the crown may by order make provision for… amending, repealing or replace legislation... In any way that an act might.’
Very few people know about this Bill and yet its impact on our constitutional liberties will be immense. It has been referred to by Cambridge Law Professor John Spensor, as the ‘abolition of parliament’ Bill, as it will give the government the ability to completely bypass democratic scrutiny on most issues.
According to Professor John Spensor, the bill could be used to introduce house arrest, give the police greater powers of arrest and interrogation, set up new courts and in effect re-write the rules on immigration, nationality, divorce, inheritance and the appointment of judges – all without democratic scrutiny.
The lack of outcry is outstanding. Media coverage has been nil. The erosion of our civil liberties is near completion.
A Farmer
A Farmer
e-mail:
stephen496@hotmail.com
Comments
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The ASBO plays a crucial part in destroying parliamentary democracy
21.02.2006 03:52
World War 3 is about to begin. The atrocities that will be used to secure the oil fields of the Middle East (following the genocide of Iran) will not allow the possibilty of 'asking' the British people for their support. Instead, the method of constant 'forward momentum' will be used, with opposing voices exterminated as soon as they attempt to make themselves heard. This is not speculation. This is the universal way in which these things are done, as history has demonstrated on so very many occasions.
If people here understood the philosophy of legal mechanisms, they would see how ASBO was created to help create the climate for fundamental changes in the way 'justice' is handled in the UK. The ASBO was introduced, NOT for the reasons given, but so that the idea of written laws that required passage through the Houses of Parliament could be destroyed. The ASBO allowed the instantaneous creation of a new law, with draconian penalties, on the say so of one of Blair's goons. This point is missed by almost all commentators. Each use of an ASBO creates a new law (usually tailored to one person) that previously did not exist. The mechanism of ASBO was NOT about these laws, but about those empowered to make them. In a nation where local New Reich goons daily create new laws using the ASBO mechanism, of course parliament is going to grant that power to Blair's high ranking goons.
I hope my ASBO point isn't going over people's heads. Let me make it simpler. There is a disabled kid that will go to prison for 2 years if he stares into his neighbour's garden (from his own). It does not matter that this does not apply to you or me. Some foul Blair goon has created that law, for that specific child, using the ASBO mechanism. For that child, the lawbook now includes THAT law. That law will be enforced by Blair's police, and Blair's judges. IT IS A NEW LAW (LOOKING INTO THE GARDEN) THAT WAS NEVER CONSIDERED OR PASSED BY THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. And for those of you that would want to show your ignorance by claiming that it is not a new law, but a version of an existing harrassment law or something, you are wrong. If a law already exists it DOES NOT need an ASBO to enforce it. ASBO's are about creating laws, where no law previously existed.
Now, if some two-bit New Reich thug is allowed to create the 'no looking' law for one child, it would seem like a simple extension that one of Blair's full blooded thugs would be allowed to arbitarily create laws for all of us. This was the whole idea of the ASBO trojan horse. Introduce a disgusting new principle that undermines the whole mechanism of British law, apply it to mostly unpopular and helpless people, and then extend the principle to all of us. Of course, ironically, the 'unfairness' compalint about the ASBO (which completely misses the point) can't be levelled at laws made by ministers that apply equally to all of us. But then, this was the BLACK PROPAGANDA trick- namely get people to attack ASBO's on the wrong ground, and then address that complaint when the ASBO grows to become the power that allows Blair's ministers to create laws without due parliamentary process.
twilight
Press and blog coverage
21.02.2006 06:38
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1709926,00.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,6-2040625,00.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/09/nlaw09.xml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4683726.stm
By the way, its official name is the "Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill":
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmbills/111/06111.1-4.html
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmbills/111/en/06111x--.htm
More info, including analysis and further links on the blogs:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q="abolition+of+parliament+Bill"
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q="Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill"
Sometimes you think these bastards can go no lower, and then they go and prove you wrong.
J
Twilight Time
21.02.2006 10:13
2. But you can't stop patronising us, can you? "I hope my ASBO point isn't going over people's heads. Let me make it simpler."
3. But sadly you are wrong. An ASBO does not create a series of new laws. If the kid you mention is caught staring over the fence, his crime is breaking his ASBO. Nothing to do with harrassment. I agree that it is still unjust, and many ASBOs are used for sinister controlling purposes. But if you're making a point about the law, about a matter of fact, then get it right.
The Unknown Worrier
They already have that power anyway
21.02.2006 12:38
"124 Consequential and supplementary provision
(1) A Minister of the Crown may by order make such incidental, consequential, transitional or supplemental provision as he thinks necessary or expedient for the general purposes, or any particular purpose, of this Act or in consequence of any provision made by or under this Act or for giving full effect to this Act or any such provision.
(2) An order under this section may, in particular, make provision-
(a) for applying (with or without modifications) or amending, repealing or revoking any provision of or made under an Act passed before this Act or in the same Session,
(b) for making savings, or additional savings, from the effect of any repeal or revocation made by or under this Act.
..."
While the "purposes" of the ATCS Act are given as
"An Act to amend the Terrorism Act 2000; to make further provision about terrorism and security; to provide for the freezing of assets; to make provision about immigration and asylum; to amend or extend the criminal law and powers for preventing crime and enforcing that law; to make provision about the control of pathogens and toxins; to provide for the retention of communications data; to provide for implementation of Title VI of the Treaty on European Union; and for connected purposes."
In other words s124 of the ATCS gives ministers the power to amend any Act passed in or before 2001 if he thinks it's "expedient" to "amend or extend the criminal law", "make provision about immigration and asylum", "provide for the retnetion of communications data", etc.
There's nothing specific there about creating new offences but that's usually what you do when you "extend the criminal law". It might be possible, years afterwards and after an extensive legal fight, to challenge such laws but I don't know, (IANAL). And if they can create new offences under this then there's no 2 year limit on the maximum sentence!
At the time the ATCS was still a Bill I called this clause "a new Enabling Act". I still believe it could be.
Note: None of this is intended to in any way say that we shouldn't fight this new bill --- we should fight it, it's more expicit about new offences and probably more likely to be used in that way. I just thought it was relevent background.
Slarti
It's not unprecedented
23.02.2006 15:46
This law effectively enabled our government to reform our cumbersome federal system and to correct certain fundamental flaws in media and party legislation. You may have heard about all this in school. If you don't remember the details (such as the name of the chancellor), you may want to refer to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erm%C3%A4chtigungsgesetz.
Hans
This bill sounds like a very bad idea.
23.02.2006 22:01
Some more official information about the bill
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/bill/index.asp
One should indeed carefully compare these proposals with the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enabling_Act
Richard
ABOLITION OF PARLIAMENT BILL
04.03.2006 13:30
Ian McFerran
e-mail: ianmcferran@aol.com
fight the good fight
09.03.2006 01:09
http://www.Parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm
keep the faith