Thursday, September 29, 2005

Summary Powers

From Tony Blair's speech at the party conference on Tuesday:
There will be a radical extension of compulsory drug testing for offenders; a doubling of investment in drug treatment; summary powers to deal with drug dealers and with the violence from binge-drinking; and those believed to be part of organised crime will have their assets confiscated, their bank accounts opened up and if they intimidate juries, face trial without a jury.

What are summary powers? What will they look like in practice?

  • Summary powers to eject an 82 year old delegate from the conference for having the effrontery to shout "nonsense" during a speech, then to confiscate his pass it seems and refuse him permission to re enter under Section 44 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
  • Summary powers also to eject Steve Forrest, a constituency party chairman from Erith and Thamesmead in south-east London for daring to complain about the treatment of a frail old man.
It's enough to make me want to take up binge drinking.

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