Latest news with #BaronessChakrabarti
The Independent
13-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Government urged to ‘think again' on Palestine Action ban
Labour peer Baroness Shami Chakrabarti has criticised the government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, warning it could lead to increased public support for the group. Her concerns intensified after over 500 people were arrested in central London for displaying items in support of a proscribed organisation during a weekend march. Baroness Chakrabarti argued that acts like criminal damage, such as spraying paint, do not equate to terrorism, and urged the government to 'think again' on the ban. Civil liberties groups, along with cross-party MPs, have condemned the mass arrests as disproportionate and an excessive use of counter-terrorism powers. The Home Secretary and Downing Street have defended the ban, saying that Palestine Action is a violent organisation responsible for significant injury and extensive criminal damage.
The Independent
13-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Police camera van rollout slammed as move toward ‘total surveillance society'
The Home Office has announced a nationwide expansion of live facial recognition technology, deploying 10 new vans equipped with cameras to target "high-harm" offenders. Critics, including Labour peer Baroness Chakrabarti and campaign group Big Brother Watch, have condemned the rollout, saying it signifies a move towards a "total surveillance society". They also raised concerns about privacy, freedom of assembly, and the risk of false matches. Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson defended the technology, highlighting its effectiveness by citing 580 arrests made by the Metropolitan Police in the last year for serious crimes such as rape and domestic abuse. The Home Office said the technology's algorithm has been independently tested and will be operated ethically with robust oversight, with individual forces determining deployment within established guidelines.
The Independent
13-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Rollout of live facial recognition vans treats us all as a ‘nation of suspects', say critics
Critics have branded the nationwide rollout of live facial recognition technology as another move towards a 'total surveillance society'. The Home Office has announced that ten more vans fitted with high-tech cameras will be deployed across the country to catch 'high-harm' offenders as part of a government overhaul of neighbourhood policing. Alongside the expansion, the government will simultaneously consult on how the technology should be used and what appropriate safeguards and oversight are needed to shape a new legal framework for its use. However, Labour peer Baroness Chakrabarti, former director of human rights group Liberty, has warned of privacy concerns and the risk of false matches. 'Some would say this is yet another move towards a total surveillance society,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme. And Campaign group Big Brother Watch has warned the latest rollout 'treats us all as a nation of suspects'. Baroness Chakrabarti said its use raises issues around 'challenges to privacy, challenges to freedom of assembly and association, and problems with race and sex discrimination because of the higher likelihood of false matches in the context of certain groups'. She also accused the police of deploying the powerful technology 'completely outside the law' in recent years as she welcomed news the government would consult on legislation. 'It's pretty clear to me that, as I say, it's been a bit of a wild west,' she added. 'The police procuring the technology from whichever companies they see fit, the police drawing up watch lists of who they're looking for and what level, what severity of crime should be sufficient for a deployment, and pretty much marking their own homework.' Big Brother Watch has warned that police currently rely on a 'patchwork of existing laws' to justify its use and noted MPs have never voted to authorise it. They are currently supporting a Judicial Review against the Metropolitan Police following the misidentification of an anti-knife crime community worker in February 2024, who was held and questioned by police. Their interim director, Rebecca Vincent, called for the Home Office to scrap the wider rollout until 'robust legislative safeguards are established' 'This unprecedented escalation in the use of facial recognition technology across the UK is alarming and represents a significant expansion of the surveillance state,' she added. 'Live facial recognition turns every passerby into a walking barcode and treats us all as a nation of suspects.' Some 10 vans equipped with cameras will be rolled out across seven police forces – Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley and Hampshire – over the coming weeks. They will be manned by trained officers and individual forces will decide how and when they are deployed in their areas, operating within the College of Policing guidance. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said they would be focused on identifying sex offenders or 'people wanted for the most serious crimes who the police have not been able to find'. 'The algorithm being used in the vans has been independently tested and will only be operated in specific circumstances and with robust oversight,' the Home Office said. Chief Superintendent Tim Morgan of South Wales Police, which is co-ordinating the rollout alongside the National Police Chiefs' Council, sought to reassure the public that the technology would be used 'ethically'. 'We understand the concerns which are raised about the use of live facial recognition technology and we use any new technology ethically and spend time and effort making sure it's deployed in line with all legislation and guidance,' he said. 'It is important to remember that use of this has never resulted in a wrongful arrest in South Wales and there have been no false alerts for several years as the technology and our understanding has evolved.' Lindsey Chiswick, NPCC lead for facial recognition, said live facial recognition had already been used 'to great success, locating thousands of wanted offenders, or others breaching their bail conditions.' 'I am confident that the increased use of this technology will continue to support the safety of communities across the country moving forward,' she said. Forces already deploying live facial recognition have used it to arrest rape, domestic abuse, knife crime and robbery suspects as well as sex offenders breaching their conditions. Meanwhile, the Home Office said every community across England and Wales has now been assigned a 'named, contactable' officer to handle reports of crimes like anti-social behaviour. Their details will be made available for residents on their local force's website, it is understood. The pledge was made as part of the government's previously announced Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, under which forces have signed up to a commitment to respond to neighbourhood queries within 72 hours. The government said the move would help ensure 'the public will have consistent direct links to their local force, with dedicated anti-social behaviour leads and new visible patrols in town centres'.
The Independent
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Agreement on Hillsborough Law could come in weeks, peers told
The Government is 'hopeful' it can come to an agreement on a Hillsborough Law with the families impacted by the disaster 'in the coming weeks and months', Parliament has heard. Speaking from the Government frontbench, Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede said talks 'have been going positively', as peers raised concerns the duty of candour element of the proposed law is being watered down. Labour peer Baroness Chakrabarti said the families of the 97 football fans who died following the 1989 incident feel 'less positive' about its discussions with the Government. The deadly crush occurred during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the football ground in Sheffield. The proposed law would require public bodies to have a duty of candour, meaning they would need to co-operate with official inquiries and tell the truth in the aftermath of major disasters – or face criminal sanctions. A previous deadline set by Labour, that the Bill would be passed before the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in April, has been missed. The Government had said it needed more time to finalise the Bill. A draft Bill has been criticised by campaigners, including the Hillsborough Law Now group, for not containing pledges previously made – including the duty of candour. Lady Chakrabarti told the upper chamber on Thursday: 'I'm grateful to (the minister), as always, for repeating the Government's commitment to introduce Hillsborough Law, but I'm afraid that the families and their representatives feel a little less positive about the engagement they had so far. 'Some worry that they've been briefed against to the newspapers, and generally speaking, they worry about the dilution that … Lord Storey has warned against.' Lord Ponsonby said he was 'sorry to hear that', adding: 'I am aware of very recent interaction with the families in Liverpool, and what I understand is those talks have been going positively, and it is very much hoped that we able to reach some form of agreement in the coming weeks and months.' He had earlier said: 'Since March, we have listened to stakeholder feedback to ensure that we deliver the best Bill possible. 'This engagement has been constructive and progress has been made. Engagement is ongoing and will continue over the summer.' Liberal Democrat peer Lord Storey said: 'Would he give a clear commitment there will be no watering down of that duty of candour intent when the Bill is published?' Lord Ponsonby replied: 'The Prime Minister has made a personal commitment to the affected families to work with them constructively to come up with an appropriate law. 'Regarding the duty of candour, the Government is clear that what happened following the Hillsborough disaster must never happen again. 'Under the Hillsborough Law, public officials will be bound by duties of candour with criminal and professional consequences. 'We are committed to achieving a true cultural change. The Bill cannot change culture on its own, but it can and should act as a catalyst, and we remain committed to launching a programme to encourage cultural change alongside the Bill.'
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Hundreds of people gather for Palestine Action protest
A Palestine Action protest is under way in central London ahead of an expected government announcement on proscribing the group as a terrorist organisation. Hundreds of people met at Trafalgar Square after police banned them from protesting outside of from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire last week and spray painted military planes red to protest against the UK's support of Israel during the war in Gaza. Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley said he was "shocked and frustrated" about the protest, but said it could not be stopped unless proscription came into force. Organisers made the last-minute venue change after Scotland Yard enforced an exclusion zone across much of Westminster. Met Commissioner Sir Mark said while the force had no legal power to stop the protest, they would impose the conditions "robustly".Charing Cross, next to Trafalgar Square, was blocked for a time as protesters gathered, some waving Palestinian flags and chanting: "We will not be silenced." Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to announce plans to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist group on Monday afternoon. The expected move to proscribe the group has drawn criticism from a number of human rights groups and activists. Labour peer and activist Baroness and Shami Chakrabarti said that she did not advocate criminal activity in protest, she felt proscription was a "step too far." Chancellor Rachel Reeves condemned Palestine Action's behaviour as "totally unacceptable" ahead of the statement in Parliament later. "To cause damage to military assets, but also to cause such damage to privately owned assets, it is unacceptable whatever your views are on what's happening in the Middle East," she said.
