Top Lawyers in England Resign over Patriot-like Laws(original story
here)
Lawyers representing foreign suspects detained under a controversial British anti-terrorism law are to resign in protest against the legislation, a few days after Britain's highest court said it was illegal.Ian Macdonald, one of the Special Advocates authorised by the authorities to work on terrorism-related issues, announced his decision to resign, in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, after a ruling by the Law Lords - a panel of senior judges who act as the ultimate court of appeal in Britain.
The Law Lords ruled 8-1 on Thursday that the detention of nine foreigners under the law breached human rights obligations.
"Such a law is an odious blot on our legal landscape and for reasons of conscience I feel that I must resign," Macdonald wrote in the weekly.
"My role has been altered to provide a false legitimacy to indefinite detention without knowledge of the accusations being made and without any kind of criminal charge or trial." [emphasis mine]
Up to now Macdonald had stayed on because he thought he could "make a difference", despite considering it "a wrong law brought in the wrong way to the wrong court".