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Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill

I understand the hon. Gentleman's point. I was going on to give the counter view to the point that Justice was making about the reliability of witness protection schemes as an alternative to the use of anonymous evidence. There are limits to the use of witness protection schemes. As the Court of Appeal noted in its judgment in the case of Davis"““in reality, and certainly for the individual of good character, with established roots, this kind of programme is unacceptable””." The judgment added that"““this process is grossly invasive of the right of the witness and his family to private and family life””." As Danielle Cable, the fiancée of Kenneth Noye's victim, Stephen Cameron—herself in witness protection—said:"““I have lost twice—Stephen and my old life.””" Witness protection may not be an alternative to using anonymous evidence, but it is an important means of bringing some cases to justice. At present, there is no statutory witness protection scheme, and provision across police forces is still patchy and sometimes inconsistent. I hope that the law reform, victims and witnesses Bill will address those concerns where this emergency Bill plainly cannot. In conclusion, I remind the House of what I said in my response to the Justice Secretary's statement on 26 June. I asked him if he would"““consider carefully whether it is wise to rush through all stages of the Bill in this place in one day””.—[Official Report, 26 June 2008; Vol. 478, c. 517.]" I regret that it is exactly what is happening. We have been allocated only six hours to consider these matters as every stage of the Bill is pushed through the House in a single day. We accept the need for legislation to deal with the problem swiftly, but we do not accept that it is necessary to truncate debate and rush consideration in this way. The Government have already tabled amendments to a Bill that they introduced only days ago. I welcome the Government's concession that a sunset clause will be written into the Bill to ensure that the provisions are replaced in the forthcoming law reform, victims and witnesses Bill. We pressed for such a provision and I am grateful to the Justice Secretary for conceding it, as it will give the opportunity for more considered legislation and discussion of proposals such as the use of special advocates and special measures. Nevertheless, driving laws through the House in a single day is unwise and unnecessary. It will only add to concerns about the measure, not least in the other place, and is bound to increase the risk that we get something wrong. When both the safety of our communities and the liberty of individuals are involved, that is a serious matter. The Bar Council has said:"““The criminal process is not a static one; its procedures are not frozen in a past era of mythic perfection. But its commitment to a proper balance between the various interests and rights of those caught up in the process remains the same: to do justice in a way that serves the public interest while protecting the rights of the victims of crime, the witnesses in criminal proceedings and those suspected of serious criminal wrongdoing.””" We support the use of anonymous evidence where it can be accepted without prejudicing a fair trial. We understand the need to legislate swiftly to ensure that some serious cases do not fall, but we must ensure that the correct balance is struck. I am grateful to the Government for addressing a number of the concerns we have expressed, and I hope that spirit of constructive debate will continue. Above all, however, we should be concerned that the Bill is properly scrutinised so that justice can be done.