ANDREW TYRIE
In January, the Supreme Court ruled that a Libyan dissident, Abdel Hakim Belhaj, and his wife can sue the British state over their abduction and transfer to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s prisons. This is a victory for transparency and rule of law. It shows that the British courts are prepared to hold those at the highest levels to account for “extraordinary rendition”—the programme of kidnap and torture launched by the US after 9/11, and facilitated by Britain.
The case will also be one of the biggest tests yet for the new rules on secret hearings. Under the Justice and Security Act of 2013, the courts could now hear evidence that is withheld from the Belhaj couple—and their lawyers—on national security grounds. The pair could be barred from most of the trial, and then lose the case without being able to challenge—or even hear—the evidence used against them. And they might only see a redacted version of the judgment. This does not sound much like British justice.