The Rules About Police Bail
What a strange web can be woven by the strands of history.
Two weeks ago a judge declared that the statutory right of the police to bail a suspect for 96 hours meant just that.
Until the judgement, the police had been interpreting their powers to mean that they could bail a suspect for a total of 96 hours of custody but spread over as long a period as they felt necessary.
The judge’s decision was taken to a higher court, and the higher court agreed with the judgement.
At that point the police publicised the fact that their capability to investigate crimes would be severely hampered if the judgement were to stand.
So the Government started to put together a Bill that, if passed, would change the rule about police bail and allow the police to continue as before.
Everyone agreed that things needed to be done quickly to preserve police powers.
Andy Coulson
And then comes that news that Andy Coulson – former editor of the tabloid News of the World, and later David Cameron’s director of communications – has been arrested in connection with the phone hacking and bribery of police officers and others that took place when he was editor of the News of the World.
So now David Cameron’s government are putting together a Bill that would allow the police to bail Mr Coulson for a longer period than they are allowed to under the rules as presently laid down.
Oh, the irony.
I think Mr Cameron ought to distance himself from the passage of this Bill, bearing in mind his relationship with Mr Coulson.
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