Lord Carlile Gives Lib Dems Food For Thought
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Lord Carlile, second from right, joins Sue Farrant and West Dorset Lib Dems
Striking the right balance between protecting the rights of the individual and protecting the country from terrorism was on the menu at West Dorset Liberal Democrats’ annual dinner.
Dr Sue Farrant, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate and nearly fifty diners welcomed LibDem peer Lord Alex Carlile, the man charged with acting as the Independent Reviewer of UK anti-terrorism legislation.
A Queen’s Counsel and practising barrister, Lord Carlile is also President of the Howard League for Penal Reform and a long standing campaigner for prison reform, mental health and the rights of trans-sexuals. He famously defended Princess Diana’s butler Paul Burrell against charges of theft.
Lord Carlile spoke about his very varied work but particularly focused on the difficulties of countering the threat of terrorism whilst maintaining civil liberties.
A lively question time gave diners a chance to quiz Lord Carlile on a range of topics.
Speaking after the dinner, which was hosted by Beaminster Liberal Democrats, Dr Sue Farrant said, “It was an excellent evening. Alex Carlile is a superb speaker and the topic is a vitally important one for us all.
“We are fortunate that such senior political figures are giving such active support to West Dorset’s Liberal Democrats.”
