Pissing hell – the world really has gone mental. I’m agreeing (almost) wholeheartedly with Max Hastings. Highlights:

“Whatever steps a society takes to defend itself, these must be subject to extra-parliamentary review. Democracy in Britain is already in poor health. Such is the power of the executive, so feeble is the influence of Commons backbenchers, so weak are the Lords and local government, that today the judiciary represents the only substantial check upon the excesses and follies of government….

“The outbreak of active terrorism in this country indeed demands new laws, rendering necessary a shift of the balance between civil rights and public protection. It will be surprising if judges do not show sensitivity to this. But the greater the powers of the state – especially custodial powers – and the more vital becomes the sceptical, scrutinising role of courts…

“None of this is intended to make a case for the British government to respond feebly to the threat from violent Islamism. It is merely to argue that legislation on new security measures should be reasoned, rather than reflexive. This is difficult in the current overcharged mood, both at Westminster and among the public.”

Has old man Hastings had a forced lobotomy since he started writing for the Guardian? This is pretty much spot on.

Update: There’s a fairly predictable discussion of the latest witch-hunt over a Guardian opinion piece in the comments.