> Secret court hearings will hand a major propaganda victory to terrorists, a former security adviser to David Cameron has warned. Senior Tory MP Patrick Mercer said he had ‘grave’ concerns about the Government’s plans, which he warned would erode centuries of open justice.

> The former Army officer, who served as the party’s homeland security spokesman until 2007, also claimed the measures would succeed in destroying British values – effectively doing the terrorists’ job for them

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2126374/Secret-court...

It's a shame that American lawmakers did not come to a similar conclusion, that secret courts and rulings erode the values of a free and open society.

secret courts allow the appearance of a free and open society whilst actually enacting draconian practices without fear of reprisal.

Nit-pick: people misuse the term "Kafka-esque" when they mean "Orwellian." It doesn't refer to insidious, purposeful, bureaucracy. It refers to bureaucracy that is irrational as a whole because of the mechanical, impersonal nature of its parts. E.g. to get a social security card you need to show your driver's license; to get a driver's license you need to show your social security card.

IIRC, I didn't need a SSC for the DL either, but it's been a while, so I'm not too sure on that.