Minority Report Britain

The ‘they just don’t get it’ tendencies of this Government are becoming quite frightening.

The latest intimation of their wish to turn the make believe of Minority Report into a reality is demonstrated by the news that Labour is planning ‘behaviour orders’ for people thought to be “at risk” of committing a violent crime.

We’re well used now to New Labour’s contempt for the judicial process. But, even so, it genuinely shocked me to read the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer - responsible for the efficient functioning and independence of the courts - applaud the move on the grounds that:

“If there's evidence that you could commit a violent offence in the future, proper evidence of that proved in a court, then why shouldn't you be restrained from committing that violent offence?”

Perhaps, m’Lord, because if there’s proper evidence capable of standing up in a court of law it should be tested by due process. We might even give that process a name - how about ‘a fair trial’?