LEVELLING THE LAND The Levellers press release on the criminal justice bill For some time now the Levellers have been involved with a number of environmental protest groups,travellers support groups,squatting support agencies, civil liberties campaigners and people who are striving to make life in this country more interesting,pleasant and just. Consequently we are among the first to realise the serious threat to justice and civil liberties contained in the Criminal (In)Justice and Public order bill. The bill if passed will *Make a travelling lifestyle a criminal offence * make non-violent direct action a criminal offence * privatise the correctional facilities for young offenders * remove the right for people who are being evicted from their homes to be present at the court hearing that will decide on their future * make attending any unlicenced celebratory gatherings a criminal offence * make it legal for the police to pull out samples of a detainees hair and search their mouths without permission * make it illigal for a jornalist to investigate the activities of `terrorists' organisations * change the legislation arond the rigth to silence that has been considered fair and just for three and a half centuries,such that a detainees silence under interrogation can be used to infer guilt * take the control of bail conditions form the courts and give it to the police (this can be used to back up measures to criminalise peaceful protest) * make way for build up of personal information (including genetic codes) on people who have not been convicted of any crime * bring back the prison hulks last seen in Victorian times * bring back SUSS laws(stop and search on suspicion) An amendment to this section will target certain areas such as Clubs, Festival sites and areas within towns and cities such as streets and housing estates. Its direct effect will be to increase homelessness, fill the newly privatised prisons with young people who have a conscience and increase urban arrests. It will not promote justice, clamp down on crime or improve public order. Legislation within this bill contravenes international human rights law. This legislation is opposed by Libery (National council for civil liberties), Shelter, Char (Housing campaign for single people),Shac, Amnesty International, the Association of Metropolitan Authorities,Metropolitan Police Federation , GreenPeace,The Green Party,the Advance Party, the Law Society, and numerous respectable and peaceful campaigning organisations and all people with a genuine conscience who have read the execrable thing. A large proportion of the bill is intended to criminalise lifestyles that the Tory voters disaprove of. These opinions are not made from an informed position, but because ao an irrational fear of the unknown. We would normally expect an intelligent government to see through hysterical reactions and take into account bigotry and ignorance when forming legislation. This is clearly not the case with this bill. Either its proposers are too stupid to realise that what they propose sets dangerous precidents and is morally unjustifiable or they are aware of this and are sufficiently morally bankrupt ot choose to ignore this.