French outrage at secret pandemic tyranny laws escalates

The French newspaper Liberation today published a major report, fiercely
attacking the draconian legal measures the French government has put in
place, in secret, to deal with a so-called "pandemic", including detentions
for up to six months without seeing a judge and the trial of children in
adult courts.

Under the headline, "Flu A: menace to our liberties", the paper publishes
the demand of "us, politicians, union leaders, researchers, associates to
the public authorities" to have a proper debate "as quickly as possible" on
the military-style emergency measures outlined in a secret document sent by
the government to the heads of the courts of France in July.

Here is a report in the AFP:

France to use swine flu to gut laws: report

PARIS (AFP) - In case of a swine flu pandemic the French government has a
plan to introduce emergency measures that would gut legal protections for
citizens, the daily Liberation reported Tuesday.

According to documents provided to the daily by a judges' union, the plan
would extend the period police can keep a suspect in detention without
charge or a hearing before a judge to up to six months.

Suspects would also not be able to contact a lawyer until after spending 24
hours in custody.

Under the plan children could be tried in adult courts and more trials held
behind closed doors.

The Syndicat de la Magistrature called the measures "revolting" and said
they would amount to "liberticide," and called on Justice Minister Michele
Alliot-Marie to abandon the plan.

The union was due to release on Tuesday the text of the government plan,
which it said was provided to heads of courts in great secrecy in July, the
newspaper reported.

Swine flu, or the A(H1N1) virus, the first pandemic to be declared by the
World Health Organization in this century, has so far claimed 15 lives in
France, out of at least 2,837 worldwide.

The French government has conducted extensive planning to prepare for an
expected new wave of infections as the autumn flu season approaches in the
northern hemisphere.