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| Secret inquest plans reintroduced | Secret inquest plans reintroduced |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Ministers are reintroducing measures to hold some inquests in secret on national security grounds. | Ministers are reintroducing measures to hold some inquests in secret on national security grounds. |
| The new bill covering coroners, murder laws, witness protection and sentencing comes months after the secret inquest plans were dropped in Parliament. | The new bill covering coroners, murder laws, witness protection and sentencing comes months after the secret inquest plans were dropped in Parliament. |
| The Ministry of Justice says the secret inquests will prevent sensitive intelligence material leaking. | The Ministry of Justice says the secret inquests will prevent sensitive intelligence material leaking. |
| When the idea was first introduced - in last year's Counter Terrorism Act - it faced widespread opposition. | When the idea was first introduced - in last year's Counter Terrorism Act - it faced widespread opposition. |
| The Coroners and Justice Bill is one of the largest pieces of legislation produced by the Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for law, the courts and penal system. | The Coroners and Justice Bill is one of the largest pieces of legislation produced by the Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for law, the courts and penal system. |
| A major part of the bill covers reforms of the inquest system, with the creation of the office of the chief coroner to monitor standards and changes to allow military inquests to be held nearer the family home of dead service personnel. Holding [inquests] in secret, with coroners hand-picked by the government, would be another blow to our civil liberties David Howarth, Liberal Democrat shadow justice secretary | |
| But the most controversial move will see ministers try for the second time to make some inquests take place in secret. | But the most controversial move will see ministers try for the second time to make some inquests take place in secret. |
| Under the proposals, the press and public would be banned from inquests where the government can successfully argue that some of the circumstances of the death must be kept secret on national security grounds. | Under the proposals, the press and public would be banned from inquests where the government can successfully argue that some of the circumstances of the death must be kept secret on national security grounds. |
| Opposition parties last year launched a campaign to block the move saying that it was hugely damaging to the independence of the coroners' system, one of the cornerstones of legal openness in the UK. | Opposition parties last year launched a campaign to block the move saying that it was hugely damaging to the independence of the coroners' system, one of the cornerstones of legal openness in the UK. |
| Ministers dropped the plans from counter terrorism legislation - but said that they would reintroduce them in the New Year, promising greater judicial oversight of any secret hearings. | Ministers dropped the plans from counter terrorism legislation - but said that they would reintroduce them in the New Year, promising greater judicial oversight of any secret hearings. |
| Under the new proposals, a decision by the Secretary of State to hold a secret inquest will be subject to judicial review. The Lord Chief Justice would then appoint a High Court Judge to preside if the hearings take place behind closed doors. | Under the new proposals, a decision by the Secretary of State to hold a secret inquest will be subject to judicial review. The Lord Chief Justice would then appoint a High Court Judge to preside if the hearings take place behind closed doors. |
| Liberal Democrat shadow justice secretary, David Howarth called on the government to "let go" of the proposals on inquests, which he said were "dangerous". | |
| "Many of us had hoped that ministers had seen sense after the plans were dropped from the Counter Terrorism Bill. | |
| âInquests allow the government to be held to account for deaths at the hands of the state. Holding them in secret, with coroners hand-picked by the government, would be another blow to our civil liberties,â he said. | |
| Sentencing council | Sentencing council |
| A proposed new sentencing council for England and Wales will be charged with ensuring that guidelines on prison terms become more consistent across the country, helping the Prison Service to better plan its resources. | A proposed new sentencing council for England and Wales will be charged with ensuring that guidelines on prison terms become more consistent across the country, helping the Prison Service to better plan its resources. |
| Calls for the council first came two years ago amid massive population pressures - but the proposed measures do not mean that sentences will be shortened if the number of available cells falls. | Calls for the council first came two years ago amid massive population pressures - but the proposed measures do not mean that sentences will be shortened if the number of available cells falls. |
| Other measures in the bill would allow anonymous witness evidence to be used in gang and gun-related trials. | Other measures in the bill would allow anonymous witness evidence to be used in gang and gun-related trials. |
| Parliament passed emergency legislation providing witness protection after an important legal ruling halted a trial in 2008. This emergency legislation will now be placed on a permanent legal footing. | Parliament passed emergency legislation providing witness protection after an important legal ruling halted a trial in 2008. This emergency legislation will now be placed on a permanent legal footing. |
| Ministers are also revealing plans to reform the law around homicide - following a long and complex debate among legal experts. | Ministers are also revealing plans to reform the law around homicide - following a long and complex debate among legal experts. |
| Some experts have called for the end to mandatory life sentences for some killers. The government has stopped short of accepting that proposal. | Some experts have called for the end to mandatory life sentences for some killers. The government has stopped short of accepting that proposal. |
| Ministers have also pledged to ban convicted criminals from profiteering from their past life by making money from their memoirs. | Ministers have also pledged to ban convicted criminals from profiteering from their past life by making money from their memoirs. |