State Research Bulletin Business, the Right and Paramilitary (October 1978-September 1979), an Organisations
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limo STATE RESEARCH / 9 POLAND STREET /LONDON w1 /01-734 5831 <7.‘ ---\-mun! State Research The Review of Security and the State An independent group of investigators Volume 1, for l978,.with an introduction collecting and publishing information from by E.P. Thompson, was published in public sources on developments in state November 1978 by Julian Friedmann policy, particularly in the fields of the law, Books (hardback, price £12). Volume 2 will policing, internal security, espionage and be published in autumn 1979. This will the military. It also examines the links contain our year’s work in hardback form, between the agencies in these fields and i.e. issues 8-13 of State Research Bulletin business, the Right and paramilitary (October 1978-September 1979), an organisations. introductory overview of the year and an index. Hardback (jacketed) £12.00. It can State Research Bulletin be ordered in advance for £10, direct from Julian Friedmann Books, 4, Perrins Lane, Published bi-monthly in February, April, I-Iampstead, London NW3. June, August, October and December. Contributions to the Bulletin are : EFEA FOR HE »E- -n-Qipui-1g T ~ welcomed; they should be sent to the above coNTENTs .____THE<“.B°.. .T.“.‘-AL? A D. _T.7 -T. ._STf‘5T . §'."‘l‘.E_N.ALlST.§. address. Relevant cuttings from local news- OPPOSE POLICE PRESS CARDS - GUIDELINES ON JURY VETTING papers are also very welcome. News and developments 25 Britain’s new extradition pact with order-in-council (No 1403, the Federal Subscriptions W.Germany Republic of Germany (Extradition) The guidelines on jury vetting Subscribers receive: the bi-monthly Bulletin (Amendment) order 1978) amends the 1872 Labour Party to probe security services and an annual index. Treaty, (as amended by the 1960 Journalists oppose police press cards _ —-ii Agreement) extending extradition in two Government plans for Official Secrets Act Rates: Britain and Europe: £3.00 pa ways. First, a ‘catch-all’ clause has been Defence: A secret review of the way ahead BRITAIN’S NEW EXTRADITION individuals, £6.00 institutions/organisa- added to the previous list of 27 extraditable The Special Branch in West Yorkshire PACT WITH W. GERMANY offences, which allows anything which is a tions (payment only in sterling). Elsewhere .__Jn 1 E S . *__ V_1__ _ _- _'-- ‘iv - -L ‘ — 1 17 7' D 1 I 1 1 (by Air Mail): US$8.00 pa individuals, Reviews 32 crime (of a certain seriousness) in both US$16.00 pa institutions/organisations. The Contemptuous Constable An order in council made by the countries to be treated as an extraditable Bulk rates on application. How Colonel Eveleigh would keep the Government and which came into force on offence, even if it is not listed in the Agree- peace October 3, changed an agreement on extra- ment. Second, the prohibition on the Please make all cheques/postal orders The politics of the Police Manual dition between Britain and West Germany extradition of British nationals, which was payable to Independent Research The Shackleton Report on the PTA so that Britain can now legally extradite its in the 1960 Agreement, has been removed. Publications. own nationals to West Germany, while The latter clause (Clause 3) is the crucial Background Paper 38 West Germany, under its own constitution, one. It amends Article IV of the 1960 Sample copies: 50p/US$1.00 (inc p&p). The ABC trials: a defeat for the State cannot legally extradite its nationals to Agreement, which laid down that no British Britain. The order in council changing the citizen should be ‘delivered up’ to West Back Issues Typeset by Red Lion Setters, 27 Red Lion agreement had been ‘laid’ before Germany, and substitutes the wording: Back issues are available to subscribers Street, London WCID 4PS. Parliament, in order for objections to be ‘The Government of the United Kingdom only. Bulletins 1-7 (Oct 77-Sept 78), and the Printed by Russell Press, Gamble Street, raised, for just one day, while Parliament of Great Britain and Northern Ireland shall index for 1977-78, cost 50p each (inc p&p) Nottingham. was not sitting, before becoming law. not be obliged to extradite a citizen of the to individuals, £1 each (inc p&p) to Trade distribution PDC, 27 Clerkcnwell The main law governing extradition from United Kingdom and Colonies, and the institutions/organisations. US rates: $1.00 Close, London ECI. Britain is the 1870 Extradition Act, which Government of the Federal Republic of (inc p&p) individuals, $2.00 (inc p&p) Published by Independent Research was amended by a 1935 Act. Under the Germany shall not be obliged to extradite a institutions/organisations. All Publications, 9 Poland Street, London powers given in these acts, two agreements German national’ (our emphasis). This cheques/postal orders payable to W1. (1872 and 1960) have governed the terms gives both parties the option to extradite Independent Research Publications. ISSN 0141-1667 for extradition of people from Britain to their own nationals. In Britain, the decision West Germany, and vice versa. The new will rest with the Home Secretary, as the Page 48/State Research Bulletin (vol 2) No 9/December 1978-January 1979 December 1978-January 1979/Page 25 Home Office has responsibility for the This order-in-council was made by a prospective jurors on a counsel-to-counsel application of the law in this country. statutory instrument under the 1870 THE GUIDELINES ON basis with the defence. Extradition Act. There are two kinds of JURY VETTING Mr Silkin also emphasises that, under There is not, and never has been, a , 1 _ _ i J7 in 1 1 1 1 r t _ 7 general prohibition in British law on orders-in-council: one, known as Statutory 1i_ . _ I .1 I _ L1 i i 1 I 1-T Section 5.2 of the Juries Act, ‘It is open to extraditing British citizens to other Instruments, are issued as a result of the defence to seek information’ in the countries, although some extradition powers given to ministers under The discussion in the press and the concern same way, and that ‘the principle of agreements into which Britain has entered parliamentary legislation; the other is when by civil libertarians about vetting of Central equality of information to prosecution and have explicitly excluded this option. a minister exercises, on behalf of the Criminal Court jurors after the revelation defence is to be regarded as of great Among these are the current agreements monarch, a prerogative power to make that the jury in the ABC Official Secrets importance.’ with Denmark and Greece and, until orders-in-council. Although both kinds Trial was vetted ‘for loyalty’ (see State The statement summarises the use of October 2, the agreement with West have to be ‘laid’ before parliament, they Research Bulletin No 8) has prompted the police records in the 25 cases since 1975 Germany.’ However,.there are agreements automatically become law unless there are Attorney-General to publish the guidelines where jury-vetting has been carried out. In with many countries ranging from Austria, objections from MPs. However such is the for these checks (The Times, 11.10.78). The 14 cases, (12 IRA, 2 Official Secret) CRO France, Belgium, Finland and USA to plethora of parliamentary papers that guidelines were drawn up by the and Special Branch records were consulted. Czechoslovakia which allow for the orders-in-council usually become law quite Attorney-General (Sam Silkin), the Home In ll cases (murder, armed robbery and extradition of British citizens, and current unnoticed. In this case the order-in-council Secretary (Merlyn Rees) and the Director of international fraud), CRO records only British policy is to bring other agreements was only laid before Parliament the day Public Prosecutions, after the Provisional were used. in line with these, and remove obstacles to before it was scheduled to come into force, IRA bombing campaign in 1974. They state The four-year-old guidelines were extradition. and as Parliament was not sitting that day, that, under the 1974 Juries Act, members published in full during the second ABC The West German position is, however, the realistic possibility of MPs having time of the jury should be randomly selected trial because of hostile reactions to the completely different. The extradition of to object before it became law, was reduced unless the Act disqualifies them. revelations of the vetting of the first trial German citizens is explicitly ruled out by to virtually zero. However, there are exceptions, where the jury. Early in the second trial, Mr Justice the terms of their Constitution, which A further question arises in, ,relationj to safeguards of the 1974 Act are not Mars Jones gave instructions to pressmen requires a two-thirds majority in both the timing and the speed with which ,t11e' considered sufficient. There is no precise that no reference to the vetting of the jury Houses of the West German parliament to order-in-council was made._ - Discussions?.- r--_ ._ on definition of such exceptions, but they should be published. Thus, ironically, be changed. There appear to be no moves this subject had‘ bee‘n’goin_g*on between the include cases where ‘strong political Silkin’s publication of the guidelines was in to have this clause changed. West-German governme_nt,, the Foreign" motives’ are involved (the IRA, other breach of this instruction and was regarded Among the principles governing British Office (which is ifalwayis involved in1"de-alings ‘terrorists’ and cases under the Official as contempt of court by the judge. extradition agreements are that 1) all with foreign governments), and the Home Secrets Act are specified).