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Campaign against the “Mosquito” |
 Article Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 |
At a special hearing on Tuesday 26 August, Liberty will urge Plymouth City Council to ban the “Mosquito device,” which forces young people out of public areas by emitting a high-pitched squeal audible to under 25 year olds.
Joined by the Children’s Commissioner for England, Liberty will argue that the mosquito is degrading and discriminatory because it affects all young people, not just those engaged in anti-social behaviour.
Plymouth City Council is holding the hearing in response to a petition brought by six 15-year-old Tamarside Community College students who asked for an investigation into the mosquito. The petition was initially rejected by Plymouth Cabinet member Peter Brookshaw.
Liberty’s Legal Director James Welch said:
“These devices are a sonic weapon directed against children. They have no place in a civilized society. How can we teach young people about dignity and respect if we treat all of them as trouble-makers?”
In May 2008, Liberty and a local youth in Lancashire convinced a Co-op store to curtail the use of the mosquito because of the possible effects on children from a nearby school for autistic students. The Co-op said in a statement: “The Co-operative Group is removing all Mosquito devices and will replace these with its classical music system where appropriate.” However, reports from P ....
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Tue Aug 05, 2008
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Victory for Sikh schoolgirl |
Today the High Court awarded victory to a Sikh schoolgirl who was excluded from school for wearing a religious bangle, upholding a 25-year-old Law Lords ruling allowing Sikhs to wear items representing their faith.
The human rights group Liberty, representing 14-year-old Sarika Singh, successfully argued that Aberdare Girls’ School in South Wales breached race relations and equality laws by excluding her since November 2007 for wearing the kara (a plain single bangle widely accepted as a central tenet of the Sikh race and religion).
Anna Fairclough, Liberty’s Legal Officer representing the Singhs, said:
“This common sense judgment makes clear you must have a very good reason before interfering with someone’s religious freedom. Our great British trad .... |
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Fri Jul 25, 2008
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Govt must review Regulation of Investigatory Powers Ac |
Government must review Regulation of Investigatory Powers ActIn a significant judgement today, the European Court of Human Rights found that UK surveillance laws had lacked the necessary clarity and accountability to prevent abuses of power when used to intercept cross-border communications.
The ECHR agreed with human rights group Liberty that surveillance law and practice must be tighter to protect individual privacy rights.
Alex Gask, Liberty’s Legal Officer who brought the case, said:
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Tue Jul 15, 2008
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Response to David Davis by-election win |
Liberty response to Conservative MP David Davis winning the Haltemprice and Howden by-election on a civil liberties platform.
Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti said:
“Notwithstanding Government absence from the debate, this by-election has kept people talking about civil liberties issues locally and nationally, particularly in the vital weeks between House of Commons and H .... |
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Tue Jul 08, 2008
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Peers to begin opposition to 42 day detention plans |
Today the House of Lords is to begin its opposition to the Government’s controversial plans to extend pre-charge detention limits in the Counter-Terror Bill. Narrowly passed in the Commons last month, the proposals have been condemned as unnecessary, counter-productive and dangerous for community relations.
Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti said: “The dark arts of Government whippi .... |
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Tue Jul 01, 2008
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Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act |
In a significant judgment today, the European Court of Human Rights found that UK surveillance laws had lacked the necessary clarity and accountability to prevent abuses of power when used to intercept cross-border communications.
The ECHR agreed with human rights group Liberty that surveillance law and practice must be tighter to protect individual privacy rights.
Alex Gask, .... |
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Sat Jun 28, 2008
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Desmond Elliott Prize winner Nikita Lalwani |
Liberty today expressed profound thanks to prize-winning author Nikita Lalwani, who has donated her £10,000 Desmond Elliott Prize award to the human rights group.
In a moving speech at the announcement of the inaugural Desmond Elliott Prize last night, winner Nikita Lalwani said:
“In the UK right now, I don't think we can take basic elements of personal freedom for granted .... |
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Fri Jun 20, 2008
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Harmondsworth disturbance: call for investigation |
On Monday 23 June, the High Court will determine whether an independent investigation must be held after vulnerable detainees were locked in flooded cells without food or water while fires burned during a disturbance in Harmondsworth detention centre.
Liberty is bringing the legal challenge on behalf of three individual detainees who claim that during the November 2006 Harmondsworth dis .... |
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Mon Jun 16, 2008
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Shami Chakrabarti: David Davis resignation |
Response to the resignation of Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, who will run for re-election on a civil liberties platform including his opposition to extending pre-charge detention for terror suspects to 42 days.
Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti said:
“Last night’s debate and the brave Labour rebels in particular, show that democrats from across the spectrum care pas .... |
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Wed Jun 11, 2008
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Counter-Terror Bill proposals moves to Lords |
Human rights group Liberty said the battle against the Government’s Counter-Terror Bill proposals to detain suspects for 42 days without charge will now be taken up in the House of Lords. Narrowly passed in the House of Commons today (315-306), the controversial proposals have generated widespread concern about the negative impact on civil liberties and community relations.
Liberty Di .... |
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Wed Jun 11, 2008
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28 day pre-charge detention limit: fact and fiction |
Human rights group Liberty today received startling information relating to Ministerial claims about the use of the existing pre-charge detention limit for terror suspects. This information undermines repeated claims that the authorities have been “up against the buffers” with the current 28 day detention period.
Operation Overt, following the failed plot at Heathrow in August 2006, .... |
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Tue Jun 10, 2008
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Counter-terror plans: celebs, MPs & Liberty protest |
Liberty will be joined by actor Honor Blackman, designer Vivienne Westwood, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, Labour MP Diane Abbott, and Lib-Dem Chris Huhne MP in a protest outside Westminster on the eve of the vote on Government plans to extend pre-charge detention to 42 days. Liberty opposes extending pre-charge detention limits which will promote injustice and alienate Muslim communities.
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Tue Jun 03, 2008
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“Cons”, not Concessions on Counter-Terror Bill |
The Government’s Counter-Terror Bill amendments are “cons”, not concessions, and offer no safeguards for suspects who could be detained for up to six weeks and then released without charge.
Liberty stressed that despite the Government amendments, counter-productive extension of pre-charge detention would still be triggered to deal with individual cases rather than genuine emergenc .... |
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