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Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for his learned view. There may well be circumstances already provided for by the common law where there should be witness anonymity, but we are in this situation today because the common law provision has been abused and has been rightly and successfully challenged in Davis. In what way has it been abused? I believe that the answer is the gay abandon with which the police have come to use the promise of anonymity in persuading witnesses to come forward. Far from always having been carefully considered judicial decisions, the deals with the witnesses were done by the police and then virtually presented as faits accomplis to the court.