Law and Order

This is a tough one. Just when is it right to ignore law and order, to put justice to one side? An investigation into fraud involving arms sales to Saudi Arabia has been stopped by the Prime Minister. Factors that were considered included the loss of jobs and the loss of a £10 billion deal signed three months ago. Interesting that this deal was signed three months ago but the enquiry started 2 years ago (at a cost of £2 mill). So the government knew that an investigation was on-going, that there was a suspicion of wrong-doing, but signed a deal anyway and then let themselves be blackmailed on the basis of that deal. Not only do we keep the deal but shares in BAE have gone up by 6% so the company suspected to be involved in fraud has actually benefitted.

Another decision has been made on the rather flimsy basis of "national security". Flimsy because this excuse has been used before and it appears we were mislead (at the least) at that time. It seems that we can drop our principles whenever we need to as long as the excuse is security. And no-one is in a position to challenge the excuse as the only one who sees the documents is the Prime Minister. Once rule of law can be ignored then the public interest may soon follow. In fact once rule of law can be ignored have the terrorists not in fact won, they have made us surrender that which makes us good and raises us above murderers and thieves.

I was wrong at the beginning, it is not a tough one. Upholding the law should trump all else.