London, Saturday, 13th June 2002
For Immediate Use

Contact Details: Dr Sean Gabb, 07956 472 199 - sean@libertarian.co.uk
Dr Chris R. Tame, 07957 644 519 - chris@libertarian.co.uk

For other contact and link details, see the foot of this message

"GOVT'S EXTRADITION BILL IS A LEGAL OBSCENITY AND DIRE THREAT TO THE LIBERTY OF EVERYONE", SAYS FREE MARKET AND CIVIL LIBERTIES THINK TANK

The Labour's government's Extradition Bill is a legal obscenity and a dire threat to the liberty of everyone, says the Libertarian Alliance, the radical free market and civil liberties think tank and pressure group.

Libertarian Alliance spokesman Dr. Sean Gabb and Libertarian Alliance Director Dr. Chris R. Tame, say:

"This bill formally applies the EU wide arrest warrant proposals to the UK. What it means, simply and crudely, is that British citizens can be carted off to other European countries on the say so of a foreign judge without the slightest benefit of any legal due process in this country.
Moreover, they could be arrested for an array of so-called offences that are not - and never should be - crimes in this country.

In addition to such vague nonsense as "environmental crime" and "computer related" crime the Bill explicitly allows for the extradition of UK citizens for PC-thought-crimes of "racism and xenophobia". It is clear that the EU, and this government, is using this phrase in an obscene attempt to smear critics of the EU as "racist" and any advocacy of the virtues of hard-won British liberties as "xenophobia". Other "crimes" for which British citizens could be deported to Europe include advocating "holocaust denial", selling Nazi memorabilia and advocating a
wide range of unpopular (and sometimes silly, offensive or nasty) opinions - and, of course, plane-spotting.

The legal system of Britain, whilst far from perfect, seems a paradise in comparison to the politically corrupt and ruthlessly illiberal Code Napoleon systems of Europe - where you are deemed guilty until proven innocent and can be incarcerated without trial for absurd periods of
time."

Drs. Gabb and Tame conclude:

"If the British government succeeds in passing this tyrannical and obscene legislation it is clear that the social contract has been abrogated in an unprecedented act of treason by our own government. Nothing less than mass civil disobedience and physical resistance by any means necessary is justified by this attempt to allow the abduction and incarceration  of British citizens by foreign powers."


ENDS

Note to Editors

(1) Dr Sean Gabb sits on the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Alliance and edits its journal “Free Life”. His latest book, “Dispatches from a Dying Country: Reflections on Modern England”, is available from Politico’s.

Dr Gabb can be contacted by mobile on 07956 472 199, or at sean@libertarian.co.uk

(2) Dr Chris R. Tame is the founder and Director of the Libertarian Alliance. A prolific writer and lecturer on many topics in sociology, economics, philosophy and the history of ideas. He is also the author of "Freedom, Responsibility and Justice: The Criminology of the New Right" in the book "The Politics of Crime Control" (Kevin Stenson & David Cowell, eds., Sage Publications, London, 1991), which can also be found reprinted at http://www.libertarian.co.uk

Dr Tame can be contacted for further comment at 07957 644519 or by email at chris@libertarian.co.uk

Extended Contact Details:

The Libertarian Alliance is Britain’s most radical free market and civil liberties policy institute. It has published over 700 articles, pamphlets and books in support of freedom and against statism in all its forms. These are freely available at

http://www.libertarian.co.uk

Our postal address is

The Libertarian Alliance
Suite 35
2 Lansdowne Row
Mayfair
London
W1J 6HL
Tel: 07956 472 199

Associated Organisations

The Libertarian International - http://www.libertarian.to - is a sister organisation to the Libertarian Alliance. Its mission is to coordinate various initiatives in the defence of individual liberty throughout the world.

Sean Gabb's personal website - http://www.seangabb.co.uk - contains about 800,000 words of writings on themes interesting to libertarians and conservatives

Candidlist - http://www.candidlist.com - owned and maintained by LA Executive member Sean Gabb, it lists Conservative MPs and candidates according to their views on European integration. It had a major effect before the 2001 general election, and remains an important resource.

Liberalia - http://www.liberalia.com - maintained by by LA Executive member Christian Michel, Liberalia publishes in-depth papers in French and English on libertarianism, anarcho-capitalism and the free market. It is a prime source of documentation on these issues for students and scholars.

Libertarian Samizdata - http://www.samizdata.blogspot.com - works in association with the Libertarian Alliance and has an ever larger following. Check it out.