The Law Lords, Britain's highest court of appeal, today ruled that detaining foreign terrorist suspects without charges or trial, introduced by David Blunkett after September 11 2001, was illegal under the Human Rights Act 1998 and European Convention on Human Rights. The appeal by the nine detainees' lawyers was granted on an 8-1 majority by the Law Lords. The men won't be released immediately since the judges don't have the power to strike down an Act of Parliament, but the government will have little choice but to change the law.

Amidst all the legalistic waffle in the judgement, Lord Hoffman eloquently explains why this law is an ass.

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In my opinion, such a power in any form is not compatible with our constitution. The real threat to the life of the nation, in the sense of a people living in accordance with its traditional laws and political values, comes not from terrorism but from laws such as these. That is the true measure of what terrorism may achieve. It is for Parliament to decide whether to give the terrorists such a victory.

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