 The Christmas Repeal We asked you to suggest laws which you think should be scrapped. Thousands of you sent in your ideas - thank you.
On 20 December our panel of experts sifted your nominations to come up with a short-list of six.
The panellists were: Ann Cryer (Labour MP); Anne Widdecombe (Conservative MP); Lord Phillips (Liberal Democrat peer); and Clare Ettinghausen (director of the Hansard Society). The meeting was chaired by Ceri Thomas (editor of Today).
We asked the panel to consider a long-list of 15 acts or clauses (listed at this end of this page) and, in coming to a decision, to consider both the weight of listener opinion and the merits of the each suggested law.
Only five laws gained the support of two or more members of the panel so those went through to the short-list. That left one space to fill. We on Today added the Hunting Act 2004 - with the support of just one panellist, Lord Phillips - because that law had received most nominations from listeners.
**Now we'd like you to vote. Please use the voting form or the telephone numbers at the bottom of the page.
The long-list was:
Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
Human Rights Act 1998
European Communities Act 1972
Hunting Act 2004
Act of Settlement 1701
Acts of Union 1707
Identity Cards Act 2006
Higher Education Bill 2004 (tuition fees)
Abortion Act 1967
Health Act 2006 (the smoking ban)
Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Section 36 of the Trades Description Act 1968 (meat labelling)
Clause 62 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (prevents motor vehicles from using some unsurfaced rural roads)
The Firearms Act 1997 (brought in after Dunblane)
Vote by Phone:
0901 5221001 to repeal the Dangerous Dogs Act
0901 5221002 to repeal the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act
0901 5221003 to repeal the Human Rights Act
0901 5221004 to repeal the European Communities Act
0901 5221005 to repeal the Hunting Act
0901 5221006 to repeal the Act of Settlement
Calls cost 15p OR USE THE ONLINE VOTING FORM BELOW:
The Christmas Repeal
Which law should be tossed into the dustbin of British history?
This vote has now closed. Thank you for your votes.
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LISTEN AGAINClarissa Dickson-Wright, cook, on section 36 of the 1968 Trade Descriptions Act.
Liberty's director Shami Chakrabarti gives us her choice of Section 133 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act of 2005.
Alex Salmond, leader of the SNP, would like to repeal the Act of Union.
Michael Collins from Glasgow, wants every law abolished.
Daniel Hannan Conservative MEP for South East England on the 1972 European Communities Act.
Author Ross Clark nominates the Town Police Clauses Act 1847
A Christmas Repeal suggestion from Lisa Jardine, Professor of Renaissance Studies at the University of London.
Sir Oliver Popplewell puts forward his case for repealing tuition fees.
Author A L Kennedy votes to repeal the ID Cards Act.
Greig Brown, humorist and author, on the Data Protection Act of 1998.
Lionel Barber, Editor of Financial Times, puts forward an extradition law. |
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