Tories claim human rights concerns stop police from naming criminals

Jack Straw and Shami Chakrabarti speak out against 'confused populist announcement' from Conservatives
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Dominic Grieve. Photograph: Luke MacGregor/Reuters
Dominic Grieve. Photograph: Luke MacGregor/Reuters

The Conservatives triggered a row today after claiming that human rights concerns were stopping the police from naming dangerous criminals in the community.

Dominic Grieve, the shadow justice secretary, claimed that, under Labour, the rights of criminals had been put before the "rights of law-abiding citizens".

He said the Tories would give the police the power to tell people about prolific criminals living in their area.

"A Conservative government will free the police, probation and prison services to name offenders where necessary in order to protect the public and prevent crime," he said.

To back their case, the Tories cite what happened when Essex police began an "offender naming scheme" in 2003 that involved posters being put up identifying convicted criminals. The scheme was dropped after one convicted offender challenged it in the high courts on human rights grounds.

Grieve will give further details when he addresses the Conservative conference later today.

But Jack Straw, the justice secretary, and the pressure group Liberty criticised the Tories for misrepresenting the impact of the Human Rights Act.

Straw said: "The outcomes of court cases are already on the public record. Courts are open so that justice can be seen to be done. Police are able to use this information to inform the public, and regularly make announcements about wanted criminals.

"This is a deeply confused populist announcement, which, like so many Conservative policies this week, falls apart the moment it is subjected to scrutiny."

Shami Chakrabarti, the director of Liberty, said: "As the Conservatives well know, there is nothing in the Human Rights Act that prevents Crimewatch being aired or the identification of dangerous offenders at large.

"It is a thoroughly good idea to provide reassuring guidance for the police service but a thoroughly bad idea to perpetuate dangerous myths about the law to grab headlines at a party political conference."

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