Friday, April 11, 2008

Unlawful

In December 2006, after pressure from UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, the UK's Serious Fraud Office pulled the plug on an investigation into massive corruption by giant British arms dealer BAE. Today, the High Court ruled that that decision was unlawful:

"No one, whether within this country or outside, is entitled to interfere with the course of our justice," he said.

"It is the failure of government and the defendant to bear that essential principle in mind that justifies the intervention of this court."

It's a victory for the rule of law, and it will hopefully result in the case being reopened. OTOH, the government acted shamelessly to protect corruption when they first closed the case, and its unlikely they have grown a sense of shame since.