Over at the Telegraph, I’ve a piece on the implications of the House of Lords decision to refer to the legislature the question of whether witnesses should be allowed anonymity during trials where there is a possibility they might be intimidated. The problem is more complex than it seems as it involves the breach of some ancient tenets of English common law. In most cases, there is no need to resort to such remedies. In London, for instance, the murder clear up rate stands between 80%-90%. The problem comes primarily when dealing with gangland, or organised killings, as the 3,628 3,268 unsolved murder cases in Northern Ireland from the 1969-1998 suggests. More over at the Telegraph…
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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