[Theodoric]

I've just been reading on the BBC site about the trial of the killers of the 2 Birmingham teenage girls. What I found particularly interesting was:

The trial has been marred by serious and consistent attempts to intimidate key witnesses, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The CPS and the trial judge took unprecedented steps to ensure that witnesses felt able to give evidence.

A number of legal firsts were set in the way the trial was conducted.

Some witnesses were given pseudonyms, had their voices electronically disguised and were hidden from the defendants in the courtroom.

Their true identities were not revealed to the defence.

I was always under the impression that the defence had to be given details about witnesses (except in some terrorist cases), so it seems like the law is finally addressing the issue of witness protection. Unfortunately, I await the killers appealing on the grounds that their human rights have been breached.