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Experts warn about UK security laws

Legal experts say surveillance state must be subject to open critique.

A group of UK legal academics has sent a letter to the country’s MPs calling for a proper assessment of the risks posed by Britain’s security laws.

38 specialist signatories drawn from across different fields of law explained their concerns adding new surveillance laws and immunity granted to police and intelligence service hackers must be subject to open assessment and thorough critique.

They said their aim is to “ensure that any changes in the law, and especially any expansions of power, are fully and transparently vetted by parliament, and open to consultation from the public and all relevant stakeholders.”

The change in law was first reported last Friday by the campaign group Privacy International, which had been in the process of bringing a legal challenge against the government in the hope of curtailing GCHQ’s invasive practices.

“There has been a contradiction between the authoritarian nature of the UK state and the proposed democratic values it espouses…During cold war Kremlin type paranoia has become normal across the UK,” London-based Human Rights Activist William Spring told Press TV.

He went on noting that the Britain is a total example of a totalitarian regime anywhere in the world now but most people think they are living in democratic country.

 The activist also criticized the UK government for prevailing censorship across the country and said the ruling power leaves out any critic who is against it and doesn’t pay attention to the public needs.

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