Qatada appeal denied – no thanks to May

May 9 2012

We should be grateful that, despite the rank incompetence of the Home Secretary, it looks likely that the European Court of Human Rights has got something right for a change and denied Abu Qatada the chance to appeal to the Grand Chamber.

In so doing the Court has finally put a stop to the endless playing of the UK human rights system by this man.

That in no way mitigates the appalling ineptitude of the Home Secretary and her advisers in relation to determining the time-limits for his appeal. Mrs May has been reduced to a laughing stock. This has been a very unimpressive performance by the holder of one of the great offices of State and will doubtless be a matter the Prime Minister considers when he contemplates a reshuffle.

None of this, however, diminishes our concerns at the flaws in the arrangements for extradition to the USA which continue to permit people to be whisked off to face a less than satisfactory criminal justice system, in which plea-bargaining is the order of the day, without anyone demonstrating that there is a body of prima facie evidence against the individual.

Yours faithfully

Paul Nuttall MEP