Long live the ECHR!

The case of Mr Chindamo, the murderer of headteacher Mr Lawrence in north London in 1996 has provoked significant debate in the media this week, after it was decided at a Tribunal that he could not be deported to his country of birth upon release. That well known 'liberal' Mr Cameron, scented blood, and within a few hours, the odious Mr McNulty, Minister for Security, Counterterrorism and the Police, was assuring the public that the Government would appeal.

It was, however, reported on Channel 4 news that Mr Chindamo has lived in this country since he was six years old, speaks no Italian, and has no family in Italy.

I do not know if this is true, but if so it seems to me that we should take responsibilty for an offender who was largely a product of London gang culture.

Or would those who feel he should be deported be prepared to accept a similar offender from the Italian court system, just because he was born in Britain?

Because of increasing travel and migration, Europe - and increasingly the whole developed world - is necessarily becoming a single, unified administrative entity. We should accept common standards with our fellow humans, stick to them, and encourage others to stick to them by our example.

Long live the ECHR!