Human Rights Act held up Abu Qatada's exit, says Theresa May

The Home Secretary was cheered by Tory backbenchers as she detailed the struggle before the fanatical Islamist preacher was sent back to Jordan.

She blamed a “crazy interpretation of human rights laws” for blocking his exit. And she refused to rule out British withdrawal from the court based in Strasbourg, France, to stop future deportation cases dragging on.

Mrs May said: “Qatada would have been deported long ago had the European Court not moved the goalposts by establishing new, unprecedented legal grounds on which it blocked his deportation.

“I have made clear my views that the Human Rights Act must be scrapped. We must also consider our relationship with the European Court very carefully. I believe all options, including withdrawing altogether, should remain.

“The deportation of Abu Qatada has taken 12 years and cost over £1.7million in legal fees for both sides. That is not acceptable to the public and it is not acceptable to me. We must make sure that it never happens again.”

I have made clear my views that the Human Rights Act must be scrapped Theresa May She hinted that Lib Dems were blocking attempts to curb meddling by Strasbourg. Not one Lib Dem MP was in the Commons to hear her statement.

Labour’s Yvette Cooper conceded that Qatada’s exit to face trial was “a good result”.

(2013-07-09/express)