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Spies-R-Us
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Friday, March 31, 2006 11:02 AM
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| 30/3/06 |
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Date: 30 March 2006 12:38:36 BDT Statewatch News Online, 30 March 2006 (07/06) 1. EU: Legislative update – latest Council texts 1. EU: Legislative update – latest Council texts: – Schengen Information System II, EU doc no 5709/1/06 REV 1, 24 March 2006 – Refugee Fund and management of migration flows, EU doc no 7723/06, dated 28 March 2006 – Framework Decision on procedural rights in criminal proceedings in the EU, EU doc no 7527/06, dated 27 March 2006 – Data Protection, EU doc no 6450/1/06, REV 1, dated 23 March 2006 – High Level Conference on the future of Europol, EU doc no 7868/06, dated 29 March 2006 2. UK: Statistics on race and criminal justice system (pdf): and Overview (pdf): “Black people were six times more likely to be stopped and searched under these powers than White people, a similar rate to 2003/4. Asian people were twice as more likely to be stopped and searched than were White people; again a similar rate to the previous year” – in other words nothing has changed. 3. Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission: Commission concerned about introduction of the TASER (pdf) 4. Fabricating terrorism report: British complicity in renditions and torture- (caged-prisoners, link): 5. EU: G5 Group on Interior Ministers becomes G6: Meeting of the Interior Ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, Heiligendamm, 22 and 23 March 2006 – Full-text of Conclusions: Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, comments: “This self-appointed governmental pressure group sees itself as leading the way on justice and home affairs – but have they consulted their people or parliaments on the measures they are putting forward? A classic instance is their position on the so-called “principle of availability” whereby all information and intelligence (often guesswork or supposition) on individuals held by a national law enforcement agency (police, immigration, customs) can be accessed by any of the hundreds of agencies across the EU (where it can added to with more information and “intelligence” and passed on again, inside or outside the EU). Their conclusion is that the “rapid implementation of the availability principle must not depend on the adoption of a framework decision on data protection” – in other words state agencies should be allowed to exchange information and “intelligence” without any data protection rights for the individual being in place.” 6. MI5 tip-off to CIA led to men’s rendition (Guardian, link): 7. Greece: Immigration news digest (3 March – 23 March 2006): 8. UK: Inquest press release: Daming report on the death of Christopher Alder falls short of family’s demand for public inquiry (pdf): Report from the Indpendent Police Complaints Commission (link): Press release from IPCC (link): 9. EU: Agreement in the Council of Ministers on 10 year driving licences: Press release (pdf): Compromise report, Proposal (pdf): Background document (pdf): Statewatch coverage and UK demand for fingerprints to be included: A plastic card with “optional use of a microchip” provided that this does not interfere with commonly accessible data will be obligatory as from 2012. At the latest 20 years after the date of application (i.e. in 2032), all driving licences issued or in circulation must fulfil all its requirements. The new licences for automobiles and motorcycles will be limited to 10 years, although Member States may extend the period to 15 years. For the UK lifetime licences (from 17-70 years old) will have to be replaced five times up to 70 years old, no doubt each with a new level of technology and legal requirements. See the Register coverage (link): 10. EU: Study of the Laws of Evidence in Criminal Proceedings throughout the EU (as this 399 page report is a very large 9MB pdf it is here as a 3.24MB zip file): This report was written by Roger Ede and compiled by Charlotte Ford. The study was conducted by the International Department of the Law Society of England and Wales and was funded by the European Commission. 11. Italy: Appeal by journalists: CPT, the denial of information – refused access to detention centres: 12. EU: Belgium government loses free movement court case: Judgment European Court of Justice (link): 13. Spain/Euskadi: ETA issues second ceasefire statement: Spain / Euskadi: ETA declares “permanent ceasefire”: Message from Euskadita Ta Askatasuna to the Basque people: 14. EU: Report from European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) Opinion on the International legal obligations of Council of Europe Member States in respect of secret detention facilities and inter-state transport of prisoners (adopted at the Plenary session on 17-18 March 2006, pdf): BOOKMARK News online – full contents: ________________________________________________ |
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