Hearing that Jack Straw is determined to ‘plug the loophole’ that witnesses in court cannot remain anonymous takes us into a new Kafkaesque world. This, then, is Jack Straw’s vision of the future.
A man, to pick a name at random Tim Hedges, is walking down a street, going about his lawful business, when a policeman stops him, asking where he is gong and why, and demanding to see his ID card. The card is read by a portable device, and due to a governmental computer error, Mr Hedges is identified as a suspect in a murder case. He is detained in prison for 6 weeks without knowing why, or what he is accused of. On day 41 of his incarceration he learns that he is charged with the murder of a child and that the tabloid press is baying for blood. He is remanded in custody until his trial.
He is confident that such a silly mistake can be rectified, when the prosecution produce a witness who prefers to remain anonymous, giving evidence from behind a screen, his voice altered. The witness says he saw Mr Hedges slaughter the child. He cannot be questioned as to his name or background but Mr Hedges thinks it is the chap next door who fancies his wife. Another witness, who again prefers not to be cross examined, on the grounds that Mr Hedges and his associates might plan reprisals against him, corroborates the story (Mr Hedges thinks it is another neighbour with whom he has been in dispute about a boundary but again cannot know).
To the delight of the press, Hedges is imprisoned for life, his wan smile a reflection that at least we don’t have the death penalty. Yet.
Couldn’t happen here?
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