Dear IRR News subscriber,
On 16 June, the 799th anniversary of Magna Carta, the Prime Minister demanded the promotion of British values, with democracy, respect for the rule of law and individual liberty, and respect for others’ beliefs at their heart. This week, Frances Webber shows how these values are irrevocably damaged by the combination of secret trials, trials involving secret evidence, and the continuing legal aid cuts – affecting the rule of law itself.
We also report on a demonstration outside the Moroccan embassy to demand the release of Ali Aarrass.
In news from across the UK, the private company Serco has apologised after revealing that it has sacked ten of its staff in relation to allegations of improper sexual contact with female detainees at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre. A whistle blowing former nurse at Yarl’s Wood has expressed concerns for women suffering from mental health problems at the centre. And four years after the death of Jimmy Mubenga during a deportation, the government has published its new manual for the use of force during deportations, which authorises the use of waist and leg restraint belts, rigid bar handcuffs and a mobile restraint chair.
Jon Burnett
Assistant Editor, IRR News