Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
I think its understandable that the government has taken the pragmatic approach and paid them to go away instead of trying to fight it
|
For "pragmatic" see: Allowing the case to proceed and losing it (as appears would have been an inevitability) would have cost many more millions in fees and settlements not to mention the damage to international standing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
What does pee me off though is that the world knows we're a stupidly soft touch and we're foolish enough to let them exploit it. Along the chain of events there are countries, if the allegations are proven, that are far more culpable than us. You have the likes of the US, Pakistan and other Arabic/North African countries doing the torturing and countries like Poland offering logistics. I don't envisage anyone suing them (presumably because they'd tell everyone to sod off).
|
I believe that the actions and active participation of several of these countries have yet to be addressed. As things sit the plaintiffs have succeeded in achieving a precedent in that they have been awarded compensation from the UK Government (self heralded as the seat of western democracy).
The fact that several of the countries you have identified have no clear guidelines or clearly stated positions on torture makes for a slightly more difficult path to be tread.
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
The allegations against us are relatively trivial compared to those.
|
They were "trivial" enough for the Government to feel inclined to pay out rather than go to court.
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
Also the alleged victims' relationship with us is, at times, very tenuous.
|
That may well be your personal opinion however the facts are that the Government (based on counsel afforded them by in excess of 60 legal professionals) has decided that compensation is payable to these individuals as British subjects / holders of British residency rights.
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
It logically follows that now we'll have most of Gitmo ("Hormone" as per Punkys' android predictive text) suing us.
|
And rightfully so if you ("us") have been complicit, or instrumental, in their illegal torture.
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
I did speculate at the time why someone would want to live and seek asylum in a country complicit in their torture but I think now we know.
|
It's most probably because (as opposed to the other countries you have listed) they;
a) Have / had a legal right to be in the UK and
b) There was a far greater chance of their holding the UK to account for its shortcomings in the face of its repeatedly stated position on torture.
Each of the plaintiffs in this particular case could have sued without their necessarily having to live in the jurisdiction. That aside, living in the UK and having had this decision in their favour means there is less likelihood of anything similar happening to them again in the future.
I think, affording consideration to the available evidence and the counsel afforded to the Government, that the settlements are rightfully due to these individuals (irrespective of their skin colour, nationality, or current home address).