Anonymous witnesses to be allowed

The government has vowed to change the law to allow anonymous witnesses in some court cases after a key Law Lords ruling effectively halted the practice.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said there was a real need for some witnesses to have their identities protected.

Mr Straw told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the law will be changed "as quickly as possible".

The ruling quashed the murder conviction of a man who was convicted with the aid of anonymous evidence.

While I sympathise with the government and the anonymous witnesses I think the law lords have made the right decision. Defendants should have the right to face their accuser as this is part of the process of a fair trial.

What the government should be doing is investing in witness protection programmes that will keep witnesses safe so that they do go ahead and tell their side of the story during a trial.

No trial by jury for fraud cases

The government is once again doing whatever they can to bypass any opposition. For a long time now the House of Lords has been the only opposition in Parliament. This is true with trial by jury. The government would like to get rid of jury trials for fraud cases. The House of Lords has so far resisted this freedom crushing piece of legislation that allows you to be judged by your peers however the government is tired of their opposition to their plans so they are getting ready to use the Parliament Act to force it through regardless of what the Lords want.

The Lords have resisted this for 5 years but it looks like the government is going to destroy our freedom anyway. If they stop jury trials for fraud it will just be a matter of time before they do it with other cases.

Police want unlimited detention without trial

Police chiefs are demanding the power to lock up terror suspects indefinitely, it has emerged.

Reopening the debate over detention without trial, the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) called for some suspects to be held for "as long as it takes".

Acpo president Ken Jones said police were struggling to operate within the 28-day limit, stressing the global scale of terror investigations and the need to arrest suspects early.

"We are now arguing for judicially supervised detention for as long as it takes," he told the Observer.

"We are up against the buffers on the 28-day limit.

"We understand people will be concerned and nervous, but we need to create a system with sufficient judicial checks and balances which holds people, but no longer than a day necessary."

The idea is said to have been discussed with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who has signalled his intention to re-visit the subject of detention without trial this year.

Gordon Brown should not give them this right. If they were guilty they should be sent to trial. They should not be sent to prison forever just because they suspect they might be guilty of something.

I am even iffy about the 28 day period. I am not sure it should even be that long but I definitely think locking people up forever without trial is unnecessary. If they are guilty they should prove it in a court of law with a jury finding them guilty.