Straw: 'I will change witness law'

Updated 23.31 Sat Jun 21 2008

Keywords: Metropolitan police, John Yates, appeal, court, testify, anonymity, witnesses, witness, ruling, police, Law Lords

The Government is seeking an "urgent" change in the law to allow anonymous witnesses to give evidence.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw spoke out after a warning that scores of murderers could walk free from jail following a Law Lords ruling that defendants have a right to know the identity of witnesses.

"I'm looking at this very urgently indeed" - Jack Straw

John Yates, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, described the judgment as "potentially disastrous" and predicted it would prompt a series of appeals by dangerous convicts.

His warning came after Iain Davis' double murder conviction was quashed this week by the Law Lords, who said it would never have been achieved without anonymous evidence.

Mr Straw indicated he could put anonymous evidence on a statutory footing before December's Queen's Speech.

He said: "I'm looking at this as we speak.

"Ever since this judgment on Wednesday this has been my major preoccupation, to ensure that we are able to change the law as quickly as possible.

"I'm looking at this very urgently indeed."

Davis was convicted at the Old Bailey of the New Year's Day 2002 killing of two men in a shooting at a flat in Hackney, east London.

Seven witnesses at the trial in May 2004 were granted anonymity after claiming to be in fear for their lives if it became known that they had given evidence against Davis.

Lord Bingham, the head of the panel of judges who sit at the highest court in the land at the House of Lords, ruled this week that Davis would not have been convicted without their evidence.

He went on that the anonymous evidence hampered the defence in a way which was unlawful and rendered the trial unfair.