Welcome judicial intervention

The issue of the continuing terrorist attacks is one that needs to be ventilated in public. Furthermore, the status of the various investigations and the information that these have revealed need to be made public.

The government has conspicuously failed to keep the public informed with respect to the on-going investigations, with the result that an alarmed population remains largely in the dark about the extent of the terror threat and about what steps are being taken to keep the public safe.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Indeed, the government has also not been able to initiate any kind of national dialogue on the issue. There has been virtually no meaningful discussion in parliament, and the government has shown a marked reluctance, even hostility, to discuss the issue as raised by the press.

Against this backdrop, we feel that it is only appropriate for the judicial branch to step in and take a role. This kind of intervention into affairs of state for the national good is absolutely within the purview of the judiciary, and when the other organs of government are under-performing, we expect and congratulate the court for insisting that they do better.

Our one proviso is that we would urge the courts to bear in mind that keeping the public informed should also be part of the process, and to the extent that the judiciary can facilitate this, it would be of benefit to the nation. Ensuring the public is informed will also further incentivise the government to take the investigations seriously forward. Public confidence, which is missing at present, will grow, and public fears that the investigations are off-track can be allayed.

The administration should understand that the court order is, in fact, in the government's interest. The court order will have the effect of making the investigation process more transparent and accountable, which will in turn enhance both the effectiveness of the investigations and the public's confidence in them.