Consultation Exorcise

Squall 9, Jan/Feb 1995, pg. 44.

Most Government legislation is preceded by a so-called ‘Consultation Process’. This involves the publication of a consultation paper stating the Government’s position on the issue due to be legislated over. This consultation paper invites the “widest possible public debate”.

These Consultation Processes have become nationally renowned for ignoring the responses that they provoke. At best they seem to provide the Government with the opportunity to become familiar with the arguments they may meet in opposition to their plans. This better enables them to predict the points that will be raised in opposition and therefore what verbage will be necessary in order to ensure that their agenda reaches the statute books regardless of the responses received during the consultation process. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill was one of a long line of good examples of such consultation farces.

The organisations listed below are just some of the many established groups that either published reports critical of the Criminal Justice Act or went on the record as being against some of its sections.

The Law Society (Sections against squatters)
Save the Children (Sections against travellers)
The Children’s Society (Sections against travellers)
Housing Law Practitioner’s Association (Sections against squatters)
National Association of Probation Officers (All the public order sections - squatters, travellers, raves and festivals, peaceful protesters.)
Council for the Protection of Rural England (Sections on aggravated trespass and trespassory assemblies - against peaceful protest)
Shelter (Sections against squatters and against travellers)
CHAR - Housing Campaign for Single People (Sections against squatters)
The Housing Institute (Sections against squatters)
The Rambler’s Association (Sections on aggravated trespass)
Penal Affairs Consortium (All the public order sections - squatters, travellers, raves and festivals, peaceful protest)
The Prison Governor’s Association (All the public order sections - squatters, travellers, raves and festivals, peaceful protest)
National Council for Voluntary Childcare Organisations (Sections against travellers)
National Children’s Bureau (Sections against travellers)
Commission for Racial Equality (Sections against travellers)
Barnardos (Sections against travellers)
National Association of Chief Officers of Probation (All the public order sections - squatters, travellers, raves and festivals, peaceful protest)
Association of Metropolitan Authorities (Sections against squatters)
Association of London Authorities (Sections against squatters)
Greenpeace (Sections on aggravated trespass and trespassory assemblies - against peaceful protest)
Friends of the Earth (Sections on aggravated trespass and trespassory assemblies - against peaceful protest)
The Metropolitan Police Federation (Sections against squatters)
Association of Chief Police Officers (Public Order sections putting onus on police)

What use the telescope if it is held to the blind eye; what use the fog horn if it is blown in the deaf ear?