Tributes paid to Scottish justice, known for his lively judicial commentary, who passed away after a short illness Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, one of the supreme court’s two Scottish justices, has died after a short illness, opening up a vacancy on the 12-strong bench. The 66-year-old Oxford academic and former lord advocate had recently been caught up in a row over the authority of the supreme court in Scottish criminal affairs. There were generous tributes to the long-serving judge from colleagues who praised his ability and the force of his judgments. Lord Phillips, president of the supreme court, said: “For 10 years he has been a mainstay of the law lords and of the supreme court. He was an outstanding jurist and a wonderful companion. His premature death is a tragic loss to the court and to the nation.” Earlier this month Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National party, launched an attack on the Westminster-based court, accusing it of “intervening aggressively” in Scotland’s independent legal system after it ruled that the Scottish system had twice breached the European convention on human rights. The Scottish cabinet has set up an expert legal group to consider how Salmond’s government can block the supreme court from its oversight of criminal cases. An appointments commission will be established in due course by the supreme court to advertise the vacancy and oversee the selection process. Rodger’s replacement will be from the Scottish judiciary. The search for a replacement comes as the House of Lords’ constitution committee begins hearings next month on the judicial appointments procedure. Peers will consider whether parliament should hold US-style confirmation hearings of supreme court justices on the grounds that their role is becoming increasingly influential. The committee will also examine concerns about judicial diversity: of 11 remaining justices, 10 are white men and only one, Baroness Hale, is a woman. None are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Rodger will be missed for his lively judicial commentary. Addressing the deportation of gay and lesbian asylum seekers last year, he observed: “Just as male heterosexuals are free to enjoy themselves playing rugby, drinking beer and talking about girls with their mates, so male homosexuals are to be free to enjoy themselves going to Kylie concerts, drinking exotically coloured cocktails and talking about boys with their straight female mates.” Cameron Ritchie, president of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “Lord Rodger was an eminent and distinguished figure within the Scottish legal profession. He held some of Scotland’s most distinguished positions, including lord advocate and lord president, where he demonstrated immense ability and intellect. Above all he was a great ambassador for the Scottish legal profession and someone who will be greatly missed.” The Crown Office in Scotland said the legal profession was “poorer for his passing”. Lord Hope, deputy president of the supreme court and the other Scottish justice on its bench, said: “Lord Rodger’s premature death has deprived us all of a greatly valued colleague and a much loved friend. It is a desperately sad end to a brilliant career. His contribution to the development of the law was immense. He had so much more still to give, both as a judge and to academic life both in Scotland and at Oxford.” Despite challenging the supreme court’s judgments, Salmond, said: “Lord Rodger made an outstanding contribution to public life in Scotland over many years both as a judge and as lord advocate. “He was held in the highest regard by all those who worked with him in public service, and dedicated himself to the interests of justice during a long and hugely influential career.” Born in Glasgow in 1944 and educated at Kelvinside Academy, Alan Rodger graduated in law from Glasgow University. He was a junior research fellow of Balliol and then a fellow of New College from 1970-1972. He became solicitor general for Scotland in 1989, a post he held until 1992, when he became lord advocate, a post he held until 1995. Judiciary UK supreme court Scotland House of Lords Scottish politics Owen Bowcott guardian.co.uk
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Warning of 10-year ban on entering Israel was not sanctioned by Binyamin Netanyahu, says his deputy Israel says it is rethinking its threat to bar foreign journalists from entering the country for 10 years if they board a new aid flotilla that plans to challenge the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. “[The prime minister,] Binyamin Netanyahu, heard about it on the news and asked to re-examine this issue because it’s problematic,” his deputy, Moshe Yaalon, said on Monday, referring to the warning from Israeli government’s press office (GPO) the previous day. “I know the prime minister was as surprised as I was to hear this,” he said, without disclosing who had made the decision to deliver the threat. “There’s no way to stop the media in this day and age if they [are on board] anyway. It’s better not to clash with them.” The Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem described the warning, which the GPO director, Oren Helman, sent to international media organisations, as a “chilling message” that raised questions about Israel’s commitment to freedom of the press. Pro-Palestinian activists have said around a dozen ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip, territory controlled by Hamas, could depart from European ports in the coming days. Israel has made clear it will enforce the blockade it says is aimed at stopping weapons from reaching Hamas. Palestinians say the blockade is illegal and is helping to strangle Gaza’s underdeveloped economy. Israeli officials have said the convoy could dock in Egypt or Israel and have its cargo of aid transferred overland to Gaza. In an email, Helman said participation in the flotilla would be “an intentional violation” of Israeli law and could result in a 10-year entry ban to Israel and the impoundment of journalists’ equipment. A year ago, nine Turkish activists, including one with dual US-Turkish nationality, were killed by Israeli soldiers who raided a Gaza-bound aid convoy and were confronted by passengers wielding clubs and knives. Netanyahu’s security cabinet discussed the new flotilla on Monday. A statement from his office said: “Israel is determined to prevent the flotilla from reaching Gaza with as little friction as possible with its passengers.” Gaza flotilla Gaza Israel Palestinian territories Hamas Middle East guardian.co.uk
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Scotland Yard to hand over documents seized from private investigator to group of public figures who are suing News Group Scotland Yard will pass documents seized from Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator who was employed by the News of the World, to a group of public figures who are suing the paper’s owner News Group over alleged phone hacking, following a high court hearing on Monday. A high court judge ordered the Metropolitan police to hand some information from the Mulcaire archive, which includes 11,000 pages of documents and 111 recordings made by the private investigator, to lawyers acting for claimants including football agent Sky Andrew and actors Steve Coogan and Jude Law. The documents covered by the judge’s order are mainly limited to billing data showing phone calls between Mulcaire and the News of the World, details of contracts, invoices or payments made to the private investigator, and further pages from the notebooks kept by him that relate directly to the claimants. That information was seized during the Met’s original investigation into phone hacking, which resulted in Mulcaire being jailed in January 2007 along with Clive Goodman, the News of the World’s former royal editor. Michael Silverleaf QC, for News Group, the News International subsidiary that publishes the News of the World, pointed out the company has already admitted the charges in most cases and argued the claimants had the evidence they needed to win damages. The Met has already shown claimants pages from Mulcaire’s notebooks that name them and list their personal information, including, in many cases, the PIN numbers used to access their mobile phone messages and names and numbers of family and friends. Further disclosure would be expensive and would not effect the sum they received in damages, Silverleaf said. But lawyers for the claimants said the new information would cast light on the extent of illegal phone hacking at the News of the World and demonstrate there was a conspiracy between Mulcaire and News Group to methodically target their clients. Hugh Tomlinson QC, for the claimants, said: “It is entirely understandable… that News Group wants to limit the disclosure, partly for the good reason that it wants to limit costs and partly for the bad reason that it wants to put a lid on the disclosure of its wrongdoing going back over the years… The admissions [News Group] is prepared to make are of a very very narrow nature.” An attempt by a number of unidentified public figures to block the release of the documents, which could cast light on the full extent of phone hacking at the News of the World, failed. Justice Vos told Andrew Caldecott QC, who was representing the unidentified group, he did not believe the release of the documents, which will be redacted to remove the names of victims not so far named, would lead to their identities being disclosed. The names of any News of the World journalists mentioned in the documents but not already made public will also be redacted to protect the ongoing police enquiry into phone hacking. The Met is concerned that potential suspects would otherwise be tipped off. Scotland Yard also resisted attempts to pass the entire Mulcaire archive to lawyers acting for the claimants, saying it would take 30 weeks to redact the documents, to ensure the names and personal details of other parties were not disclosed, at a potential cost of £180,000. A fourth person, believed to be freelance journalist Terenia Taras, was arrested last week in Leeds as part of the Met’s new phone-hacking probe Operation Weeting , which began at the start of the year. Taras is the ex-partner of Greg Miskiw, who was assistant editor (news) at the paper. Ian Edmondson, who later did the same job but was sacked in February, was arrested in April. Two more senior News of World journalists, James Weatherup and chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, were also arrested in April. All four were later released on police bail. Five test cases will be heard at a trial set for January 2012, which is likely to be used as a basis for determining damages for other claims when News Group admits liability. They include Andrew’s case. News International is seeking to settle other claims by setting up a compensation scheme, which it claims will pay more to claimants than they are likely to receive in damages from the courts. Separately, it also agreed last week to pay damages of £20,000 to former Sky Sports commentator Andy Gray as well as his legal costs. News International also apologised in court to actor Sienna Miller last month for a sustained campaign of harassment which lead to 11 stories being published about her by the News of the World. Miller was paid £100,000 in damages and her legal costs. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly “for publication”. • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook Phone hacking News of the World News International National newspapers Newspapers Newspapers & magazines Metropolitan police Glenn Mulcaire James Robinson guardian.co.uk
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Hectic scenes in Italian appeal by two of Meredith Kercher’s convicted killers as lawyers swap claims of corrupt evidence The appeal by Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito against their convictions for killing British student Meredith Kercher has taken a surreal turn with two prosecution witnesses accusing a defence lawyer of offering to pay for a witness’s sex change. In a hectic session, Rudy Guede – the Ivorian already convicted for his role in the 2007 killing – started proceedings by accusing Knox and Sollecito for the first time in court of killing Kercher, prompting Knox to rise and tell the court she was “shocked and anguished” by his accusation. “He knows we were not there and were not involved,” she said. Guede was called from Viterbo jail, where he is serving 16 years, to respond to claims by a fellow inmate that he had confided that Knox and Sollecito had played no role in the murder of Kercher, whose throat was cut in the flat she shared with Knox in Perugia. After entering the court in handcuffs and sitting 4.5 metres (15ft) from Knox, Guede read out a letter he had written to his lawyers in which he called those claims “stinking rubbish”. As well as Guede’s fellow inmate, the court has previously heard from a jailed Neapolitan mafioso, Luciano Aviello, who claimed that Kercher was killed not by the Ivorian national, Knox or Sollecito but by his own brother during a burglary gone wrong. A fellow inmate of Aviello’s called by the prosecution on Monday said mafia member had told him he had been offered €70,000 (62,400) by Giulia Bongiorno, an Italian MP and lawyer defending Sollecito, to invent the story. Cosimo Zaccari – who is in jail for fraud, libel, criminal conspiracy and receiving stolen goods – said Aviello had confided that he was “contacted to create confusion in the trial”. Zaccari – who described himself as a former police informer and restaurant owner – was followed on to the stand by Alexander Ilicet, a Montenegrin who shared a cell with Aviello and claimed his cell-mate had boasted of being offered €158,000 by Bongiorno that he had planned to use for a sex change. Francesco Maresca, a lawyer representing the Kercher family, called the statements “extremely credible” but Bongiorno said: “We are beyond the realms of the reasonable,” adding: “Not even the prosecutors appear to believe this story and I will be reporting this libel.” Madison Paxton, a childhood friend of Knox’s who was in court, accused the prosecution of resorting to unreliable witnesses. “Every time we are doing well in the trial they try something desperate, like caged animals,” she said. Amanda Knox Meredith Kercher Italy Tom Kington guardian.co.uk
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More tests ordered as postmortem held after Glastonbury death of Tory constituency aide to David Cameron proves inconclusive Toxicology tests are being carried out on the body of Christopher Shale, the 56-year old constituency aide to David Cameron who was found dead at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday morning. A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said the initial postmortem had proved inconclusive and a toxicology report had been ordered that would take at least 10 days to deliver its conclusions. An inquest into the death was due to be opened and adjourned by the East Somerset coroner at Wells town hall at 2.30pm on Monday. Police said the postmortem did not suggest the death was suspicious. Shale was the chairman of the West Oxfordshire Conservative association in the prime minister’s Witney constituency and had been at Glastonbury with his wife and children. He went to the portable toilet in the VIP area where he was staying behind the main stage around lunchtime on Saturday and was found dead at about 9am on Sunday. He had been contacted just after 12.30pm on Saturday by a Downing Street official to tell him not to talk to the press about a memo written by him which was highly critical of the Tory party and had been leaked to a Sunday newspaper. The memo was essentially a strategy document setting out how to recruit members. It said the local party appeared “graceless, voracious, crass, always on the take”, and needed to radically change. Shale spoke to his deputy chairman, Richard Langridge who said he was “cross” about the leak. Langridge was reported saying Shale was “disappointed but it was one of those things”. In a further call, Shale discussed the leak with Cameron’s Witney constituency agent, Barry Norton. Police and sources close to the family said they believed Shale died of a massive heart attack and claimed his family had a history of heart problems. At a press briefing on Monday morning, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “It’s true that there was a phone call to [Shale] on Saturday to make him aware of the fact that a story would be running in a Sunday newspaper.” Asked if Cameron was satisfied there had been no inappropriate behaviour by his officials, the spokesman replied: “Absolutely”. Early reports of the death, including one from the Glastonbury festival organiser, Michael Eavis, suggested that Shale had killed himself. These were dismissed as inaccurate. “I am told it was a suicide situation this morning, in the early hours of this morning,” Eavis told a press conference on Sunday. Cameron said the death had left him and his wife, Samantha, devastated, and that “a big rock in my life has suddenly been rolled away.” The prime minister had been aware of the memo’s existence and there is deep concern inside Downing Street that its contents, known only to a small number of people, had been disclosed. Party officials had said earlier that there was no suggestion from Shale’s behaviour that he was overly concerned about the leak. Shale’s contacts with No 10 officials were seen as routine and polite, and he is not believed to have taken up the advice to speak to the party headquarters. One senior source said the heart attack was “just a dreadful coincidence”, adding: “The story in the Mail on Sunday did not concern us that much.” After the texts, Shale did contact Norton, who said: “He was absolutely in good health. We understand that his death has been as the result of a heart attack, that is the information we have. “There’s a history of that in his family and anything to the contrary, at the moment, is totally scurrilous.” Asked if Shale had been aware of the Mail article, he said: “Yes he was. He was very aware of that article. He was very circumspect with it, and was quite confident that this was something that was not really an issue. “And he was looking forward to increasing our membership, and was working on a pilot to do that.” It was pointed out that Shale, who worked in PR, management consultancy and marketing, was a robust character not to be fazed by the interplay of media and politics. He had been staying in one of the luxury caravans behind Glastonbury’s pyramid stage. His wife raised the alarm early in the morning, but his body was not found until 9am. Rupert Soames, a businessman and friend of Shale who was at Glastonbury and helped co-ordinate arrangements following his death, said through a spokesman that medics had said they believed Shale had died of a massive heart attack at “around lunchtime” on Saturday. The prime minister said Shale had been “a huge support” over the 10 years he had been MP for Witney. Cameron said: “Christopher was one of the most truly generous people I’ve ever met – he was always giving to others, his time, his help, his enthusiasm, and above all his love of life. “It was in that spirit that he made a massive contribution to the Conservative party. “Our love and prayers are with Nikki and the family. They’ve lost an amazing dad, west Oxfordshire has lost a big and wonderful man and, like so many others, Sam and I have lost a close and valued friend.” In a statement, Eavis said: “I would like to express my deepest sympathy to [Shale's] family and friends.” Conservatives David Cameron Glastonbury festival Festivals Robert Booth Patrick Wintour guardian.co.uk
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More tests ordered as postmortem held after Glastonbury death of Tory constituency aide to David Cameron proves inconclusive Toxicology tests are being carried out on the body of Christopher Shale, the 56-year old constituency aide to David Cameron who was found dead at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday morning. A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said the initial postmortem had proved inconclusive and a toxicology report had been ordered that would take at least 10 days to deliver its conclusions. An inquest into the death was due to be opened and adjourned by the East Somerset coroner at Wells town hall at 2.30pm on Monday. Police said the postmortem did not suggest the death was suspicious. Shale was the chairman of the West Oxfordshire Conservative association in the prime minister’s Witney constituency and had been at Glastonbury with his wife and children. He went to the portable toilet in the VIP area where he was staying behind the main stage around lunchtime on Saturday and was found dead at about 9am on Sunday. He had been contacted just after 12.30pm on Saturday by a Downing Street official to tell him not to talk to the press about a memo written by him which was highly critical of the Tory party and had been leaked to a Sunday newspaper. The memo was essentially a strategy document setting out how to recruit members. It said the local party appeared “graceless, voracious, crass, always on the take”, and needed to radically change. Shale spoke to his deputy chairman, Richard Langridge who said he was “cross” about the leak. Langridge was reported saying Shale was “disappointed but it was one of those things”. In a further call, Shale discussed the leak with Cameron’s Witney constituency agent, Barry Norton. Police and sources close to the family said they believed Shale died of a massive heart attack and claimed his family had a history of heart problems. At a press briefing on Monday morning, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “It’s true that there was a phone call to [Shale] on Saturday to make him aware of the fact that a story would be running in a Sunday newspaper.” Asked if Cameron was satisfied there had been no inappropriate behaviour by his officials, the spokesman replied: “Absolutely”. Early reports of the death, including one from the Glastonbury festival organiser, Michael Eavis, suggested that Shale had killed himself. These were dismissed as inaccurate. “I am told it was a suicide situation this morning, in the early hours of this morning,” Eavis told a press conference on Sunday. Cameron said the death had left him and his wife, Samantha, devastated, and that “a big rock in my life has suddenly been rolled away.” The prime minister had been aware of the memo’s existence and there is deep concern inside Downing Street that its contents, known only to a small number of people, had been disclosed. Party officials had said earlier that there was no suggestion from Shale’s behaviour that he was overly concerned about the leak. Shale’s contacts with No 10 officials were seen as routine and polite, and he is not believed to have taken up the advice to speak to the party headquarters. One senior source said the heart attack was “just a dreadful coincidence”, adding: “The story in the Mail on Sunday did not concern us that much.” After the texts, Shale did contact Norton, who said: “He was absolutely in good health. We understand that his death has been as the result of a heart attack, that is the information we have. “There’s a history of that in his family and anything to the contrary, at the moment, is totally scurrilous.” Asked if Shale had been aware of the Mail article, he said: “Yes he was. He was very aware of that article. He was very circumspect with it, and was quite confident that this was something that was not really an issue. “And he was looking forward to increasing our membership, and was working on a pilot to do that.” It was pointed out that Shale, who worked in PR, management consultancy and marketing, was a robust character not to be fazed by the interplay of media and politics. He had been staying in one of the luxury caravans behind Glastonbury’s pyramid stage. His wife raised the alarm early in the morning, but his body was not found until 9am. Rupert Soames, a businessman and friend of Shale who was at Glastonbury and helped co-ordinate arrangements following his death, said through a spokesman that medics had said they believed Shale had died of a massive heart attack at “around lunchtime” on Saturday. The prime minister said Shale had been “a huge support” over the 10 years he had been MP for Witney. Cameron said: “Christopher was one of the most truly generous people I’ve ever met – he was always giving to others, his time, his help, his enthusiasm, and above all his love of life. “It was in that spirit that he made a massive contribution to the Conservative party. “Our love and prayers are with Nikki and the family. They’ve lost an amazing dad, west Oxfordshire has lost a big and wonderful man and, like so many others, Sam and I have lost a close and valued friend.” In a statement, Eavis said: “I would like to express my deepest sympathy to [Shale's] family and friends.” Conservatives David Cameron Glastonbury festival Festivals Robert Booth Patrick Wintour guardian.co.uk
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Prime minister, speaking at press conference with Wen Jiabao, says two countries ‘should show each other respect’ David Cameron has insisted human rights issues are not “off limits” with China after holding talks with the Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao. As the two leaders announced a package of trade deals worth £1.4bn, the prime minister said he would always raise difficult questions about political freedom and the justice system, as well as seeking closer economic ties. Meanwhile, Wen said London and Beijing had to treat each other as “equals” on human rights. He stressed that China was pursuing “political structural reform and improvement of democracy and the rule of law”. The leaders faced the media at a press conference in central London during Wen’s three-day visit to the UK. Asked whether he had raised human rights issues during the talks, Cameron said: “There is no trade-off in our relationship. It is not about either discussing trade or human rights. “Britain and China have such a strong and developed relationship. We have a dialogue that covers all these issues, and nothing is off limits in the discussions that we have. “We are different countries, we have different histories, different stages of development. We should show each other respect. But we’re very clear that political and economic development should go hand in hand, that one supports the other.” Wen said: “On human rights, China and the UK should respect each other, respect the facts, treat each other as equals, engage in more co-operation than finger-pointing and resolve our differences through dialogue. “China is not only pursuing economic development but also political structural reform and improvement in democracy and the rule of law.” David Cameron Foreign policy Wen Jiabao China Human rights guardian.co.uk
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ICC orders Libyan leader and his son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, to stand trial on charges of torturing and killing civilians and rebels The international criminal court has issued an arrest warrant for Muammar Gaddafi over crimes against humanity committed against opponents of his regime. The court, based in The Hague, also issued warrants for Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam and the Libyan intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Senussi — at the request of the ICC’s chief prosecutor. Gaddafi, in power since 1969, is only the world’s second serving head of state to be issued with an arrest warrant. A warrant for the arrest of Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, was issued in March 2009 over alleged crimes in Darfur. Arrests were necessary to prevent a cover-up and more crimes, said the ICC presiding judge, Sanji Mmasenono Monageng. The investigation launched by the court’s chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, follows a referral on 26 February by the UN security council. Resolution 1970 was supported by all members of the council, including Russia and China, which are unhappy with the Nato bombing campaign. The ICC has been attacked by some for pursuing legal avenues at the expense of a possible political solution. Critics argue that Gaddafi and his closest associates will have no incentive to relinquish power or go into voluntary exile if they know they are certain to end up in the dock in The Hague. In Britain, which is playing a leading role in Nato’s military campaign, some officials have said privately that the ICC case could be left “on the back burner” in the hope this would encourage Gaddafi to seek sanctuary in a friendly African country. The Libyan leader has rejected any suggestion that he will stand down or leave the country. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who is well connected in the UK, has also vowed to “live or die” in Libya. The Benghazi-based Libyan rebels have strongly supported the ICC case and submitted evidence to the prosecutor. Monageng told the court there were “reasonable grounds to believe” the regime had killed or injured and arrested hundreds of civilians and that Muammar Gaddafi exercised full control over the security forces. His son was described as his father’s “unspoken successor” and the most influential person in his inner circle, with the powers of a de facto prime minister. In his submission to the court last month Moreno-Ocampo said Gaddafi had a personal hand in planning and implementing “a policy of widespread and systematic attacks against civilians and demonstrators and dissidents in particular”. “Gaddafi’s plan expressly included the use of lethal force against demonstrators and dissidents. “Methods used to torture alleged dissidents have included tying electric wires around victims’ genitals and shocking them with electricity and whipping victims with an electric wire after tying them upside down with a rope connected to a stick.” The Libyan leader ordered snipers to shoot at civilians leaving mosques after evening prayers. His forces carried out a systematic campaign of arrest and detention of alleged dissidents. The judges of the ICC’s pre-trial chamber could have declined the prosecutor’s request or asked for further information before issuing the warrants. The foreign secretary, William Hague, said he welcomed the ICC’s decision. “The warrants further demonstrate why Gaddafi has lost all legitimacy and why he should go immediately. His forces continue to attack Libyans without mercy and this must stop.”
Continue reading …ICC orders Libyan leader and his son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, to stand trial on charges of torturing and killing civilians and rebels The international criminal court has issued an arrest warrant for Muammar Gaddafi over crimes against humanity committed against opponents of his regime. The court, based in The Hague, also issued warrants for Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam and the Libyan intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Senussi — at the request of the ICC’s chief prosecutor. Gaddafi, in power since 1969, is only the world’s second serving head of state to be issued with an arrest warrant. A warrant for the arrest of Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, was issued in March 2009 over alleged crimes in Darfur. Arrests were necessary to prevent a cover-up and more crimes, said the ICC presiding judge, Sanji Mmasenono Monageng. The investigation launched by the court’s chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, follows a referral on 26 February by the UN security council. Resolution 1970 was supported by all members of the council, including Russia and China, which are unhappy with the Nato bombing campaign. The ICC has been attacked by some for pursuing legal avenues at the expense of a possible political solution. Critics argue that Gaddafi and his closest associates will have no incentive to relinquish power or go into voluntary exile if they know they are certain to end up in the dock in The Hague. In Britain, which is playing a leading role in Nato’s military campaign, some officials have said privately that the ICC case could be left “on the back burner” in the hope this would encourage Gaddafi to seek sanctuary in a friendly African country. The Libyan leader has rejected any suggestion that he will stand down or leave the country. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who is well connected in the UK, has also vowed to “live or die” in Libya. The Benghazi-based Libyan rebels have strongly supported the ICC case and submitted evidence to the prosecutor. Monageng told the court there were “reasonable grounds to believe” the regime had killed or injured and arrested hundreds of civilians and that Muammar Gaddafi exercised full control over the security forces. His son was described as his father’s “unspoken successor” and the most influential person in his inner circle, with the powers of a de facto prime minister. In his submission to the court last month Moreno-Ocampo said Gaddafi had a personal hand in planning and implementing “a policy of widespread and systematic attacks against civilians and demonstrators and dissidents in particular”. “Gaddafi’s plan expressly included the use of lethal force against demonstrators and dissidents. “Methods used to torture alleged dissidents have included tying electric wires around victims’ genitals and shocking them with electricity and whipping victims with an electric wire after tying them upside down with a rope connected to a stick.” The Libyan leader ordered snipers to shoot at civilians leaving mosques after evening prayers. His forces carried out a systematic campaign of arrest and detention of alleged dissidents. The judges of the ICC’s pre-trial chamber could have declined the prosecutor’s request or asked for further information before issuing the warrants. The foreign secretary, William Hague, said he welcomed the ICC’s decision. “The warrants further demonstrate why Gaddafi has lost all legitimacy and why he should go immediately. His forces continue to attack Libyans without mercy and this must stop.”
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More than 1,600 jobs believed to be at risk as the high-street fashion chain with debts of £140m fails to find a buyer Around 1,600 UK workers at the fashion retailer Jane Norman were plunged into uncertainty on Monday when the company filed for administration. Accountancy firm Zolfo Cooper confirmed that it had taken control of Jane Norman, which runs 90 stores in the UK – plus more than 100 concessions within Debenhams. The move came after PricewaterhouseCoopers failed to find a buyer for the group, which sells clothes aimed at 16 to 25-year-olds. Zolfo Cooper is expected to implement a “pre-pack” administration , which could see Jane Norman swiftly returned to private hands. Debenhams and Edinburgh Woollen Mill are seen as the likely frontrunners but it is unclear whether either would bid for the whole company. Last week Debenhams bid for Jane Norman’s brand and stock, but not its individual shops, and is thought to be interested in picking up the concessions within its own stores. Jane Norman currently has debts of £140m, and a pre-pack administration could leave creditors nursing significant losses. There are now more than 5,000 jobs at risk at just three stricken UK retailers – Jane Norman, Habitat and Homeform. Habitat, which employs 900 people, is also under the control of Zolfo Cooper. It sold the Habitat brand and three London stores to Home Retail last week, and is now seeking a buyer for its other 30 UK stores. Homeform, the company behind Moben kitchens and Dolphin bathrooms, has been in administration since last Thursday. Analysts have warned that hundreds of shops across Britain’s high street could close over this summer, as weak consumer spending pushes struggling retailers out of business. The latest retail sales figures showed that the volume of goods sold on the high street fell by 1.4% in May . Economists believe the decline in spending could accelerate through 2011, as meagre pay increases give households little respite from inflation. Retail industry Debenhams Home Retail Graeme Wearden guardian.co.uk
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