NIS UPDATE 18th June 2007
AWE Public Relations Offensive
On Tuesday 19th June AWE is hosting a Press Day at AWE to showcase its new developments, particularly the new laser. The laser building’s sophisticated foundations are complete and the superstructure is now at its full height. Fitting out interior of the building with its 12 lasers is expected to take another year or more. A US company, Cleveland Crystals, President, Jeff Luken, is now under contract to supply harmonic conversion crystals for the laser. Cleveland Crystals is a subsidiary of Somerset-based company Gooch & Housego.
AWE seeks a high profile in Institute of Physics publications
AWE is seeking further promotion from an unlikely source. The Institute of Physics (IOP) is expected to profile AWE in the next four years, according to the May edition of ‘AWE Today’. Earlier this year, the IOP awarded AWE a medal for Best Practice in Professional Development. Now the IOP has decided AWE should be listed as winners of the award for a four-year period until November 2010, during which time IOP will profile AWE as “a leading example of best practice in professional development” in its publications and on its website. The IOP is a registered charity, and it is not clear if it can legally advertise AWE in this way. AWE makes generous donations to the IOP.
Trident Replacement to be challenged in the High Court
The case against Trident Replacement is currently lodged with the High Court awaiting a hearing date when a judge will consider granting a Judicial Review of the government’s decision to replace Trident. Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) is instructing counsel on behalf of Di McDonald at NIS in the case. This is the same firm that represented the family of Baha Mousa, the Iraqi civilian tortured and killed in British army custody. After failing in the High Court, PIL was successful in the House of Lords on 12th June. The judgment found that Mr. Mousa was covered by the Human Rights Act. It is clear that, despite setbacks, challenging the government is an important human and civil right to be exercised on behalf of humanity.
Scottish Parliament Considers its options on Trident
On 14thg June, The Scottish Parliament voted by an overwhelming majority to call on the UK Government not to go ahead with the renewal of the Trident nuclear system. 71 MSPs voted for the motion, 16 against. 39 abstained and 2 did not vote. During the debate Bruce Crawford, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs indicated that the new Scottish Government would look at what it could do about Trident within its existing powers and was planning to hold a summit of interested parties in Scotland.
http://www.scotland4peace.org/Binthebomb/lobby/MSPstotal.htm
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