Rumpole author claims UK is selling out to fascism PHIL MILLER, Arts Correspondent The Herald, August 17 2006
Britain is in danger of "selling out to fascism" in the way it is dealing with the threat of terrorism, according to John Mortimer, the QC and popular author.
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which is sponsored by The Herald and Sunday Herald, the creator of the Rumpole of the Bailey series of books criticised the government's response to terrorism.
Mortimer said his next book was to be called Rumpole and the Reign of Terror and would feature Rumpole defending a suspect, a hospital doctor accused of being a terrorist.
"The book's about terrorists, but it's not really about terrorists – it's about this wonderful government, who have given away all our civil liberties," he said.
"They've cancelled the Magna Carta, they've stopped trial by juries, and removed the presumption of innocence just because the terrorists are around, which is a certain way of changing our life – which is what the terrorists want to do.
"One of the things that Rumpole inveighs against is that his client does not know the charges against him.
"The changes have put us back way before 1215 AD, Mr Blair has removed us back to the Dark Ages. God knows who advises him on legal matters: although he is very near to God apparently."
He also disapproved of the use of "summary justice" he felt was part of the government's legal policy.
"If you get the policemen being judge and jury then you've really sold out to fascism," Mortimer added.
Earlier in the day, the lauded Irish writer John Banville, who won last year's Booker Prize for The Sea, at an event in the festival's main RBS Theatre. Asked by a member of the audience who he thought would win this year's Booker Prize, the long list of which was revealed this week, he admitted he had not read any of the books on it.
He said winning the £50,000 prize was often down to chance. "It's a lottery, and someone on the day will just say: 'Oh, just give it to him.' Which is exactly what happened last year."
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