STRAW PROMISES MAHMOOD ACTION ON WITNESSES

26-06-2008

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has promised Birmingham MP Khalid Mahmood that he’ll tighten the law to ensure that witnesses in high-profile cases are able to remain anonymous. Straw will make a statement in the Commons today.

Last week the Law Lords ruled that defendants had the right to know the identity of their accusers – a development allowing the four men convicted of murdering Aston teenagers Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare to appeal against their sentences.

As the offences happened in Mahmood’s Perry Barr constituency, he’s more aware than anyone about the risk of a backlash against the government if the quartet are released.

The MP demanded a meeting with Straw yesterday as rumours swept through Westminster suggesting the parliamentary timetable was too squeezed to amend the legislation.

Mahmood said, “If we don’t allow witnesses to be anonymous, we’re going to have people with guns becoming more brutal because they know they can intimidate somebody into not giving evidence against them.

"In the Ellis and Shakespeare and case, it took us nine months to make a breakthrough, and we needed the help of church and community leaders before people would come forward.

"Obviously civil liberties are important but we need to think about the civil liberties of those who died and strike a balance - and we need to do it in this parliamentary session.  We don't want a summer where kids can walk around saying they can do whatever they want to do.

"Jack Straw was quite positive and is looking to support us on that."

Straw will make his statement in the Commons at 12.30 today.