Document Details | Legal Opinion publication

Details for Legal Opinion publication
Property	Value
Name	Legal Opinion publication
Description	Press release: Immediate, 22 September 2008 Handing over of detainees by UK Forces to the US may be unlawful. “There have been a number of allegations that UK Forces had been capturing people and handing them over to US authorities, knowing that these detainees were at risk of being tortured or mistreated”, said Andrew Tyrie MP. “I commissioned a Legal Opinion to establish whether the UK acted unlawfully when they were handed over. I now have the answer. The UK remains legally responsible for the subsequent treatment of anybody who has been detained by the UK.” “As the Opinion says, any assurances given by the US authorities that an individual handed over by UK forces to the US authorities would not be mistreated or unlawfully rendered, would not absolve the UK government of the obligation to examine whether the assurances provide a sufficient guarantee that the individual will be protected against the risk of ill-treatment.” “Furthermore, the Legal Opinion highlights ‘specific concerns about the legality of the UK having accepted such assurances’. In correspondence with me the Ministry of Defence has relied on ‘understandings’ with the United States on this issue.” “It is likely that British policy on this area is not only ethically questionable but is also unlawful. The Government now needs to radically rethink its policy on this issue.” Ends.
Filename	22.09.08_MOD_Legal_Opinion.doc
Filesize	41 kB
Filetype	doc (Mime Type: application/msword)
Creator	stuartadmin
Created On:	10/18/2008 15:08
Viewers	Everybody
Maintained by	Editor
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Last updated on	10/28/2008 15:10
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