Curb on Freedoms Extends to America it Seems

In the US, Defence Secretary Bob Gates has ordered the banning of publication of pictures showing US troops abusing prisoners. The move is qute rightly being contested by civil liberties campaigners.

Over here in the UK, should the government wish to make pictures such as these illegal to possess, never mind distribute, they will find no such hinderance from civil liberties lawyers, nor indeed from the Houses of Parliament. Thats because thanks to the violent pornography part of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act, all the government needs to do to suppress such images is to issue a statute, with no debate in Parliament and no opportunity to argue against in in a court of law.

Just remember that: images that might bring a government or its agencies into disrepute or show them acting illegally can be suppressed as easily as introducing a statute. There doesn't need to be debate or votes in the house of commons for the act to be enlarged or changed in scope to include anything the government doesn't want us to see.