Attorney General decision on Binyam – Attorney General’s Office
“Attorney General decision on Binyam Mohamed investigation.”
Attorney General’s Office. 26th March 2009
Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk
Category: attorney general
New admission over legal advice on Iraq invasion – The Guardian
“Government fails to provide proof that the former attorney general was not pressured to change his initial opinion that 2003 invasion could be illegal.”
The Guardian, 13th January 2009
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Attorney urged to hand over torture evidence – The Guardian
“The attorney general, Lady Scotland, must hand over to the director of public prosecutions detailed allegations of criminal wrongdoing by MI5 and the CIA concerning the treatment of a British resident held at Guantánamo Bay, his lawyer said yesterday. The demand comes in a 26-page letter, seen by the Guardian, sent to the attorney by Clive Stafford Smith, director of the legal charity Reprieve and the lawyer representing Binyam Mohamed.”
The Guardian, 5th December 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Freed from his judicial shackles, Lord Bingham delivers his judgment on the Iraq war – The Times
“Never underestimate the determination of a quiet man — or the power of a recently retired senior law lord.”
The Times, 19th November 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Iraq war legal advice flawed, says ex-law lord – The
“Legal advice given to Tony Blair prior to the invasion of Iraq was fundamentally ‘flawed’, a former senior law lord said today.”
The Independent, 18th November 2008
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Challenge to attorney’s powers by family of student killed in Germany – The Guardian
“The power of the attorney general to make decisions free from the scrutiny of courts came under renewed attack last week, in a challenge by the family of Jeremiah Duggan, a British student whose death in Germany five years ago has been described by lawyers as ‘disturbing and bizarre’.”
The Guardian, 10th November 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Call to divide AG’s dual role – Law Society’s Gazette
“Parliamentary support for the government’s decision not to split the Attorney General’s legal and political functions has attracted scathing criticism from experts.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 7th August 2008
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Ministers accused of retreat on role of attorney general – The Guardian
“Gordon Brown’s plans for constitutional reforms to make the government more accountable to parliament and the public have been turned into a ‘ragbag of retreats’ by the justice secretary, Jack Straw, according to a dissenting report by a minority on a cross-party group of MPs and peers.”
The Guardian, 31st July 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
No government should award itself unreviewable powers – The Times
“Last week’s report by the House of Commons Justice Committee on the draft Constitutional Renewal Bill draws attention to an issue of fundamental importance: whether judicial review should be excluded if and when the Attorney-General stops a criminal investigation or prosecution on national security grounds. The committee rightly objected to such an unconstitutional immunity.”
The Times, 3rd July 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Constitution bill will give attorney general even more power without transparency, MPs warn – The Guardian
“The attorney general must no longer combine the roles of politician and legal adviser to the government to maintain public confidence, a committee of MPs says today.”
The Guardian, 24th June 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Government Response to Report on Attorney General’s Role – Attorney General’s Office
“Government Response to Report on Attorney General’s Office.”
Attorney General’s Office, 30th April 2008
Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk
Goldsmith urges appeal against BAE ruling – The Guardian
“Lord Goldsmith, the former attorney general, yesterday increased pressure on the Serious Fraud Office to appeal against last week’s high court ruling that the government acted unlawfully in blocking a criminal investigation of secret payments made by the arms company BAE Systems to Saudi Arabia.”
The Guardian, 14th April 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Saudi case raises fears about law chief’s role – The Independent
“Gordon Brown faces a growing backlash over moves to give the attorney general sweeping powers to veto criminal investigations following devastating criticism of the Government’s decision to halt the inquiry into arms sales to Saudi Arabia.”
The Independent, 12th April 2008
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Analysis: what next after High Court ruling on BAE? – The Times
“When Tony Blair, as Prime Minister, approached the Attorney-General, Lord Goldsmith, QC, to argue the case for the dropping of the corruption investigation into the BAE arms deal, he insisted that it was a matter ultimately for the Government’s chief law officer. But — justifying his approach — Mr Blair said that this was the ‘clearest case for intervention in the public interest he had seen’.”
The Times, 10th April 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Package of reforms to historic role of Attorney General announced – The Attorney General’s Office
“Following a four-month consultation Baroness Scotland has today outlined reforms that will mean a number of significant changes to the historic role of the Attorney General.”
Attorney General’s Office, 25th March 2008
Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk
‘It’s a bit odd that I’m the first female Attorney-General’ – The Times
“Baroness Scotland of Asthal, the Attorney-General, is determined that more women will follow her up the legal ladder.”
The Times, 18th March 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Law chief ‘delaying Serbian corruption case’ – The Guardian
“The attorney general, Lady Scotland, is using her powers over criminal prosecutions to delay another major overseas corruption case, the Guardian has learned.”
The Guardian, 12th March 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Britain can’t afford to be corrupt – The Times
“The decision to stop the BAE investigation raises questions about the rule of law and fairness in deciding which cases to prosecute.”
The Times, 11th March 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Labour retreat over attorney general’s role – The Guardian
“The government is poised to let the attorney general retain the power to stop prosecutions such as the corruption case against BAE Systems on national security grounds, the Guardian has learned.”
The Guardian, 11th March 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Backstory: Iraq legal advice – The Guardian
“Shortly before the start of the Iraq war, the then-attorney general Lord Goldsmith published a nine-paragraph statement saying why he thought the invasion would be legal under international law.”
The Guardian, 26th February 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
