Hughes: "I protest regularly"

Liberal Democrats have expressed "grave concern" over moves to introduce European justice measures into British law.

New Queen's Speech legislation to streamline EU justice and home affairs (JHA) decisions are set to raise issues of UK parliamentary sovereignty.

Speaking to ePolitix.com, Simon Hughes takes David Blunkett to task for signing up to the European Arrest Warrant at an EU council of JHA ministers.

The government has committed the UK to sweeping extradition reform by spring 2003 even though parliament had forced the home secretary to ditch the measure.

Hughes warns that Blunkett should not tie Britain's hands on sometimes controversial measures before Westminster has a say.

"I would prefer that [Blunkett] didn't and I think if he had taken slightly more account of the parliamentary view he wouldn't have done. So we are unhappy about that, and we think he should have waited," the Bermondsey MP told this website.

"We have grave concern about the process. It's not just about justice and home affairs, it's to do with how we, here, fit into the loop of European decision making and the whole question of council of ministers' powers."

"I protest regularly and seek to get us to intervene at a better and more appropriate stage of decisions."

The warning came as Lord Filkin publishes new legislation aimed at greater European cooperation in the battle against crime.

In a move that will bring the role of the EU council of JHA ministers under close Westminster scrutiny, the Home Office minister published the Crime (International Co-operation) Bill.

The legislation will introduce measures to speed up the process of tackling international organised crime including money-laundering, people-trafficking and financial crime.

The bill will also bring in extra-territorial jurisdiction for terrorist offences, improve mutual legal assistance including wider, and create new powers to use and add to central EU crime databases.

During the Queen's Speech the Home Office signalled that it will work more closely with its EU counterparts.

"We have been setting the EU agenda in police and judicial co-operation and this bill gives us the opportunity to turn words into action," said Filkin.

"This bill demonstrates our commitment to effective co-operation against serious crime in Europe and beyond."