:: 2/28/2004 ::

To: Mr Malcolm Moss
MP for North East Cambridgeshire
House Of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Saturday 28 February 2004

Dear Mr Malcolm Moss,

According to a Press Association report of today;

'The Government has rejected fresh demands to release the Attorney-General's advice on the legality of the war in Iraq.

[....]

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The Attorney-General's advice remains confidential because of the long-standing convention that advice from government law officers is not disclosed.'

I am sure I do not need to point out to an intelligent man that arguing that something should not be done solely on the grounds that it has not been done before is a specious argument at best. At worst it is the sort of argument that exists in order to obscure the actual reasoning behind the decision.

Therefore, I ask you to ask the government on my behalf to furnish a fuller explanation for why it is not prepared to release the Attorney General's opinion on legality of the war in Iraq.

The law itself is of course available for public scrutiny, and many conflicting opinions have been published. However, the legality of the war cannot be evaluated without access to the Attorney General's case. Is it satisfactory that we be asked to take the government's word that the war was legal? A democracy is only so to the extent to which its conduct is transparent.

I, personally, am not prepared to take Tony Blair's word for it and, frankly, would be surprised if you would.

I would be grateful for your confirmation that you will raise this matter in the House or, alternatively, your thoughts on why you disagree.

Yours sincerely,

alan

:: alan 21:33 [link] ::

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