A renewed popular discourse on fundamental human rights for all is needed in the face of the erosion of civil liberties by governments and corporate power, said the director of Liberty this morning.

Though Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said the UK government "opposes toture", Ministers have now admitted that they handed over terror suspects in Iraq to US authorities.

Civil liberties campaigners have condemned UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw for comments in a newspaper article casting doubts on the Human Rights Act and saying that it may be likened to a "criminal's charter".

PM Gordon Brown stands accused of distorting the facts as the parlimentary vote on 42 days detention for terror suspects looms - with church figures joining critics.

Civil rights group Liberty is furious that the Association of Chief Police Officers appears to have undermined a Council of Europe statement on Britain's involvement in CIA 'torture flights'. It wants a proper investigation.