2 DECEMBER 2006, Page 32

Security v . rights

From the Attorney General

Sir: Stuart Wheeler’s article (‘Why the Tories must say No to torture’, 25 November) includes a quote from me about deportation. Taken from a Human Rights Watch report, and by HRW from a BBC online summary of a radio interview, some bits have fallen off the quote along the way, and the end result is misleading.

No one is advocating a free rein to deport where there are risks. What we are going to ask the European Court of Human Rights to look at is whether, when we are considering deporting terrorist suspects, we can strike a balance between protecting the interests, safety and security of the British public and the rights of the suspect.

Lord Goldsmith, QC

Attorney General’s Chambers, London SW1