“The society which has abolished every kind of adventure makes its own abolition the only possible adventure.” Paris, May 1968


Thursday 5 June 2014

Secret terror trial. Secret for how long?

Civil rights campaigners are right to be horrified at the prospect of the secret trial of two men accused of plotting some form of terrorism. The right to be tried by jury in open court is one of bulwarks of any society that can make any claim to be "free". It it difficult to see how the security and well being of the nation can be all that threatened by knowing the truth but a court case might easily be embarrassing to any number of government departments. But what I find most difficult to believe is that what happens behind the locked door of this secret court will remain secret for very long. The internet will combine with the human propensity for a nice bit of gossip to ensure that freedom of information will triumph. All that the State's determination to keep this case under wraps will do is make thousands of people more determined to find out what's going on.

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