22/09/2009 Legal Affairs and Human Rights
European governments should be guided by the words of a great American judge of last century, Mr Justice Brandeis, who wrote in 1928: “If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for the law,” according to Christos Pourgourides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), speaking during a round table in Florence on 18-19 September on the challenges for the judiciary of the fight against terrorism. The event, involving international judges, law professors and other legal experts, was co-organised by PACE’s Sub-committee on Crime Problems and the Fight against Terrorism. Topics covered included fair trials, the use of intelligence material as evidence, and abuses of the state secrets doctrine.