(UK) Ministry of Justice sounds warning over secret hearings (ministry sued by Gitmo detainee)
Source: The Guardian
Introducing secret hearings into civil courts could backfire, leading to more claimants accessing sensitive information, according to the government's own impact assessment of its justice and security green paper.
Expanding the use of so-called "closed material proceedings" (CMPs) may also result in jurors finding the vetting procedure intrusive, and in "resentment of the judicial process and unwillingness to participate in jury service", the Ministry of Justice's study warns.
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The justice and security green paper is aimed at closing down embarrassing public actions brought against the intelligence agencies by former terrorist suspects such as Binyam Mohamed, a British citizen held in Guantánamo Bay, who claimed he was tortured while detained in jails, including in US custody.
Under the proposals, not only would ministers be able to order a hearing to be conducted in secret, but the proceedings would also deny claimants access to government evidence or witnesses – leaving them effectively untested in court. In addition, the final judgment could be wholly or partially withheld.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/mar/04/justice-green-paper-binyam-mohamed
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