Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 (Continuance in force of sections 1 to 9) Order 2007

My Lords, I fully agree with the final point made by the noble Lord, Lord Judd, about the importance of due process and of observing the requirements of natural justice in all activities of the kind with which the House is now concerned. The Government have recently had a very clear warning, which should be borne in mind in support of what the noble Lord, Lord Judd, has said. The Court of First Instance of the European Communities has just roundly condemned the Council of the European Union for having put someone on a proscribed list without giving them a proper chance to reply or providing the necessary evidence, and in breach of other rules of natural justice. The United Kingdom Government was the only member state to appear before the Court of First Instance and to support the Council. Because of the line of argument adopted by the Government inthat case, they must therefore share to some extent the bloody nose given to the Council. Considering the matters before the House today, and particularlythe speech of the noble Lord, Lord Judd, I hopethat the Government will not court another bloody nose.