Ex-Tabula Rasa

The Sun and the Human Rights Act

Today “journalists” at Rupert Murdoch’s Sun newspaper in England contacted their union to see if the current internal investigation into their workplace could be halted. Their belief is that it goes against the European Human Rights Act, and the Sun employees have requested that a leading human rights lawyer look into their situation and whether the Human Rights Act can be used in this case.

I thought this was an interesting development in the long-running News International phone-hacking scandal, particularly because it represents a remarkable change in opinion of the publication’s staff. Indeed, until very recently the paper had made no secret of its feelings on the HRA. A quick Google search of the Sun’s website led me to find the following:

• “Foreign terrorists, killers and rapists use the law to avoid deportation” (Oct 2, 2011)
• “The introduction of the Human Rights Act has spawned a booming UK human rights industry, which is largely reliant on barmy cases.” (Jan 26, 2012)
• “The hated European human rights act is costing the UK more than £9BILLION a year, experts said last night. The law is used by celebs to hide their secrets behind superinjunctions and lets prisoners fight barmy causes in court. Compensation claims created by the act — the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) — cost £7.1billion a year, while £2.1billion is paid out to ensure we follow the often ridiculous rules set down by Eurocrats.” ((April 26, 2012)
• “[Equality and Human Rights Commission chief Trevor Phillips] yesterday blasted the ‘thoroughly bonkers’ way human rights laws are being used. … He warned the Human Rights Act was becoming the ‘exclusive property’ of groups like terror suspects, illegal immigrants and criminals.” (Dec 12, 2011)

One can only speculate as to why the Sun’s staff are resorting to a law that they believe to be a haven for ‘criminals’ who pursue ‘barmy cases’. I wonder what could possibly have changed their mind in the last few days?

South Korean politics is crazy

From today’s Guardian:

An opposition MP set off a teargas canister in the South Korean parliament in a failed attempt to prevent the ruling party passing a free trade deal with the US.

Members of the ruling Grand National party were greeted with shouts and screams as they occupied the national assembly’s main hall to railroad the deal. Opposition MPs tried to physically block them, leading to scuffles and Democratic party’s Kim Sun-dong set off teargas.

The pact will come into effect on 1 January 2012. It is not the first time it has aroused passions in South Korea. In 2008, opposition MPs used a sledgehammer to try and force their way into a barricaded committee room to stop the ruling party from introducing a debate on the US trade deal.

(Source: Guardian)

I’m back

Sadly, our computer is still dead, which explains my absence in the last four days. Now I’m back at work, with access to the internet again, and I see that I have about thirty new followers. Hello to you all. Not sure what happened, did I make the radar or something? Who knows.

(If not posting anything for four days increases my follower count by 20%, maybe I should try not posting anything for a month and see if I get a book deal)

So, what did I miss while I was gone? Anything interesting?