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21/09/2006
Attorney General backs use of phone-tapping
Attorney General Lord Goldsmith has said that he would support a change in the law, allowing phone-tap evidence to be used in court.
Lord Goldsmith is the first member of the government to publicly support the removal of the ban on phone-tap evidence being used in court.
Speaking to the 'The Guardian', Lord Goldsmith said that he wanted to find a way to allow phone-tap evidence to be used in court.
He said that if it was not used, "we're depriving ourselves of a key tool to prosecute serious and organised crime and terrorism".
The Attorney General said that that he had been persuaded of the benefits of using phone-tap evidence during a a visit to the US this week, where he had talks with US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, as well as other senior US officials.
Lord Goldsmith said that phone-tap evidence had been used there in the successful conviction of five top Mafia bosses.
Removal of the ban is supported by both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, as well as the Association of Chief Police Officers and civil liberty groups.
However, intelligence gathering agencies are opposed to the lifting of the ban, fearing that it could expose some of their techniques to criminals.
(KMcA/EF)
Lord Goldsmith is the first member of the government to publicly support the removal of the ban on phone-tap evidence being used in court.
Speaking to the 'The Guardian', Lord Goldsmith said that he wanted to find a way to allow phone-tap evidence to be used in court.
He said that if it was not used, "we're depriving ourselves of a key tool to prosecute serious and organised crime and terrorism".
The Attorney General said that that he had been persuaded of the benefits of using phone-tap evidence during a a visit to the US this week, where he had talks with US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, as well as other senior US officials.
Lord Goldsmith said that phone-tap evidence had been used there in the successful conviction of five top Mafia bosses.
Removal of the ban is supported by both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, as well as the Association of Chief Police Officers and civil liberty groups.
However, intelligence gathering agencies are opposed to the lifting of the ban, fearing that it could expose some of their techniques to criminals.
(KMcA/EF)
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