Further Steps on Deporting Abu Qatada

on Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Theresa May, the home secretary for the UK, has been facing a setback after a setback in her attempt to deal with the radical Islamist preacher and alleged accomplice to the Al Qaeda, Abu Qatada. In her last attempt to deport the Jordanian to his homeland, she faced terrible critic from the house of commons that claimed that there was not enough reassurance from the government of Jordan that Abu Qatada would not be tried on the basis of evidence obtained by torture.

12 months after her promise to the MP’s of deporting the arrested Islamist, she has as of yet failed to come up with a legal strategy to do so. Amidst an uproar of recent criticism, she is believed to disclose her new plan of action regarding the case. The renewed uproar was a direct result of confirmation by the Judicial Office that she had tried, and been denied by the court of appeals, a chance to take the case to Supreme Court. The only option now open to her is to make a direct claim to Supreme Court. If further appeals are now made, they must be based on a fresh point of law.

May confirmed that the government was constantly working with the UK government for the safe deportation of Abu Qatada, but does not deny that he could still have to face prosecution in Britain itself, based on the breach of bail conditions for which he was originally arrested. It may be expected that May will be a little more than desperate to assure he MP’s that progress has been made in the deportation issue. It has been reported that security minister, James Brockenshire, went last month to Jordan for a meeting with Jordanian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ensour.

Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, on the other hand, claimed that she had failed to claim to the court while she had the time last year. It seems like a futile attempt indeed that she has decided to act only recently towards this aim.

Tory backbencher, Dominic Raab, expressed anger that the British Law system was flawed and had loopholes and needed urgent revisions at least as far as deportation law was concerned.

Three judges of the appeal court, unanimously, announced last year that Abu Qatada could not be deported as long as the threat to pass judgment on him based on torture-obtained evidence still existed. Torture was abhorred universally as an evil, and she would do well to remember that. Lord Dyson, Lord Justice Richard and Lord Elias, scrapped the home secretary’s appeal placed last November  as they are afraid of facing a flagrant denial of justice.

The judges went on further to say that Abu Qatada was a real threat to the national security of Britain and that he was very dangerous, and it was understandable that the general sentiment went in favor of deporting the man back to Jordan. However, they also mentioned that this could not allowed to influence their decision.



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