Press Releases & Updates 2000
4th April 2000
Government and Judges Join Forces to Stifle Debate on Illegal Nuclear Weapons
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Trident Ploughshares campaigners who were today hoping to see evidence that
the Scottish justiciary would look in an impartial way at the question of
the illegality of Trident were dismayed at the clearly biased attitude of
Lords Rodger, Reed and Weir.
The one hour hearing at the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh was to
determine the procedure for answering the four questions posed by former
Lord Advocate Lord Hardie in his Reference arising out of the acquittal of
the "Trident Three" in Greenock last year. As the Lord Advocate is an
officer of HM Government it came as no surprise that he had twisted the
questions to suit the Crown’s position. There was the possibility that the
judges of the High Court would maintain their independence and look at the
wider issues raised during the Greenock trial. They look unlikely to rise
to this challenge.
Lord Rodger of Earlsferry was himself the Lord Advocate in 1992 when
anti-Trident campaigners presented him with evidence of how the UKs Trident
Nuclear weapons system breaches Customary International Law. He said then
that he didn’t consider the arguments against the Governments Defence
policy to be correct.
Advocate John Mayer, representing Ulla Roder from Denmark, submitted that
the matter should first be referred to the European Court for an opinion.
This was refused.
Angie Zelter representing herself made a powerful statement saying:
"The action which landed us in Greenock Sheriff court was an implementation
of the International Court of Justices Opinion and that the major question
of the Criminality of Trident should now be addressed. The questions
presently before the court suit the purposes of the Government and not the
interests of the people."
The court today decided that the full hearing will take only five days. It
may well not be heard this year. They turned down requests for a full
transcript of the proceedings to be made in spite of clear evidence of
the worldwide interest.
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Trident Ploughshares,
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